i 
1 


.J. 


5t  *«  8l>c«%ia;  s,, 

PRIlSrCETON,    N.  J. 


S/ie  (/.... 


Consolation  to  a  Christian  in  Fetters. 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


Eev.  JOHN  W.  MEAKS,  D.D., 

AUTHOB  OP  "  The  Beqqaes  of  Holland,"  "  Marttbs  of  Fbakoe,"  etc 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PKESBYTEEIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 
No.  1334  CHESTNTrr  Stbbbt. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1873,  by 

THE  TRUSTEES  OP  THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congresa  at  Washington. 


Westcott  &  Thomsow, 

Stcreotypers  and  Electrotypers,  PhUada, 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

The  Boy  Slave   7 

CHAPTER  II. 

Madagascar.— What  it  is. — Inhabitants  and  Cus- 
toms  38 

CHAPTER  in. 
Pbovidential  Preparation.— The  Gospel  Received  51 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Reign  op  Ranavalona.— The  Beginning  op  Per- 
secution..  58 

CHAPTER  V. 

Prevalence  of  the  Truth  in  Madagascar   70 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Four  Eras  op  Persecution. — First  Era,  1835-40.......  76 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  First  Martyr.— Death  in  Madagascar   84 

3 


4 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Escape  op  Rafaravavy   ....  92 

CHAPTER  IX. 

End  of  the  First  and  Commencement  of  the  Sec- 
ond Persecution   108 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Gospel  in  Char's  Household   116 

CHAPTER  XL 

The  Rainbow  Over  the  Flaivies.  —  Third  Perse- 
cution  124 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Changes  at  Court. — Mr.  Ellis'  Visits   133 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Mr.  Ellis'  Third  Visit.  —  Character  of  the  Na- 
tive Christians.   140 

CHAPTER  XTV. 
How  the  Fourth  Persecution  Arose.   144 

CHAPTER  XV. 


The  Last  Persecution. — Banishment  of  Europeans..  149 

CHAPTER  XVL 
End  op  the  Sufferings,  and  of  their  Author   159 


CONTENTS,         '  5 

CHAPTER  XVIL 

The  Great  Day  of  Deliverance.  —  Abrival  op 

Mr.  Ellis   166 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Superstition,  Folly  and  Sad  End  op  the  King   178 

CHAPTER  XIX 


The  First  Constitutional  Ruler  of  Madagascar..  192 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Uninterrupted  and  Rapid  Progress   200 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Queen's  Progress  and  Death   209 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Christian  Ranavalona   215 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
The  Memorial  Churches   224 

CHAPTER  XXrV. 
Conversion  of  the  Queen  and  Prime  Minister   237 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Destruction  of  the  Idols   246 


6 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

PAOB 

Description  op  the  Idols.  —  Religious  Belief  op 

THE  Natives   254 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
Culmination  op  the  Evangelistic  Movement   264 

CHAPTER  XXVTII. 
Roman  Catholic  and  Other  Missions   272 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
English  Episcopalians  in  Madagascar   285 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
Quaker  Missionaries.— Real  Helpers   297 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
Latest  Phases  op  the  Movement   300 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  BOY  SLAVE  IN  MADAGASCAR. 

T  is  to  an  English  boy  named  Robert  Drury 
that  we  owe  the  earliest  and  fullest  account 
of  Madagascar  and  its  inhabitants.  Against 
the  wishes  of  his  kind  parents,  Robert  was 
determined  to  go  to  sea.  His  mother  pleaded  with 
him  to  change  his  mind,  but  in  vain,  even  though 
at  one  time  she  went  down  on  her  knees  to  her 
obstinate  boy.  Go  he  would,  and  go  he  did,  and 
long  and  sore  was  the  punishment  he  brought  upon 
his  own  head.  His  first  voyage  was  from  London 
to  India.  He  left  London  February  19, 1701 ;  and 
on  his  return,  the  ship  being  leaky  and  likely  to 
sink,  it  was  resolved  to  put  in  to  the  nearest  land. 
While  the  men  were  working  at  the  pumps  below, 
Robert  and  another  boy  were  sent  to  the  mast- 


8 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR, 


head  to  look  for  land.  They  soon  descried  a  white 
cliff,  and  smoke  ascending  at  a  distance,  when 
Robert  cried  out,  "  Land  !  land 

One  of  the  crew  recognized  the  land  as  Port 
Dauphine,  the  south-eastern  cape  of  Madagascar. 
This  was  the  territory  whicli  the  French  had  at- 
tempted to  colonize,  and  where  their  violence  and 
cruelty  to  the  natives  had  been  revenged  some 
years  afterward  by  the  massacre,  in  a  single  day,  of 
every  white  man  in  the  colony.  This  part  of  the 
coast,  therefore,  was  avoided  by  all  Europeans,  and 
Robert's  shipmates  preferred  to  trust  their  leaky 
and  sinking  vessel  for  a  while  longer,  rather  than 
attempt  a  landing  there.  After  sailing  sixty  miles 
along  the  southern  coast  the  ship  was  run  ashore, 
and  nearly  all  the  crew  escaped  from  the  breakers 
and  got  safe  to  land. 

And  now  poor  Robert,  helpless,  destitute,  thou- 
sands of  miles  away  from  home,  among  savages 
and  in  an  utterly  strange  country,  had  time  to 
think  of  his  disobedience  and  its  fruits.  He  lay 
down  upon  the  ground,  with  only  a  piece  of  muslin 
for  his  bed,  and  could  not  close  his  eyes  to  sleep. 
"  The  thought  of  my  tender  mother,"  he  says,  "  beg- 
ging me  on  her  knees  not  to  go  to  sea,  gave  me  the 
most  distracting  torture.  I  could  now  see  my  error 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


9 


and  repent,  but  whom  could  I  blame  but  myself? 
Tears  I  shed  in  plenty,  but  could  not  with  any 
justice  complain  of  fate  or  Providence,  for  my 
punishment  was  but  the  natural  result  of  my  own 
ill  conduct." 

Having  learned  that  the  present  king  of  the 
Port  Dauphine  region  was  not  unfriendly  to 
foreigners,  the  captain  and  crew  of  Robert's  vessel 
determined  to  penetrate  the  country  in  that  direc- 
tion. The  natives  of  the  region  where  they  had 
landed,  being  under  another  and  hostile  chief,  at- 
tempted to  detain  them.  The  Englishmen  boldly 
seized  the  person  of  the  chief  and  commenced 
their  journey,  carrying  him  along  as  a  hostage. 
This  aroused  the  entire  native  population,  a  whole 
army  of  whom  followed  them  on  their  march,  and 
as  one  and  another  of  the  ship's  company  lagged 
behind  from  weariness,  pierced  them  with  lances, 
until  but  a  dozen  out  of  over  a  hundred  remained 
alive.  Most  of  this  small  number  escaped  to 
Anosy,  the  region  of  Port  Dauphine,  where  two 
years  and  a  half  afterward  Robert  heard  of  their 
safety  and  freedom.  Robert  however  was  captured 
by  the  pursuers,  and  though  not  slain  himself, 
was  compelled  to  see  the  murder  of  the  captain  and 
many  others  of  tl  e  company.    One  of  the  native 


10  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

officers  lifted  up  his  lance  to  pierce  him  through, 
but  was  prevented  by  the  man  who  had  him  in 
custody,  for  the  reason,  as  Robert  afterward  under- 
stood, that  he  was  to  be  the  slave  of  the  king's 
grandson. 

After  they  had  robbed  hira  of  the  money  he  had 
about  him,  and  had  plundered  the  bodies  of  the 
slain,  the  natives  hurried  him  back  to  their  village. 
Faint  with  long  fasting  and  fatigue,  he  had  to  bear 
the  shocking  sight  of  the  mangled  bodies  of  his 
former  companions  strewn  along  the  path.  By  and 
by  the  party  paused  and  kindled  a  fire  to  roast 
some  beef  which  they  had  carried  with  them.  It 
was  cut  into  long  strips  like  ropes,  with  the  hide 
still  on  it,  and  half  roasted.  This  contemptible 
food,  which  a  beggar  in  England  would  not  have 
touched,  poor  Robert  thought  the  most  delicious 
entertainment  he  ever  met  with.  At  the  next  meal 
he  was  instructed  by  signs  to  cut  off  a  piece  of 
flesh  for  himself;  he  cut  about  a  pound  without 
any  part  of  the  hide,  which  his  master  perceiving 
imputed  it  to  his  ignorance,  and  so  cut  a  slice 
with  the  hide  and  dressed  it  for  him.  Robert 
dared  not  refuse,  but  ate  it  with  seeming  thank- 
fulness. Besides  their  regular  mess  of  beef,  they 
had  yams  for  the  digging,  some  of  them  a  yard 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


11 


long,  which  when  roasted  were  an  agreeable  sub- 
stitute for  bread  or  potatoes. 

Although  treated  with  much  kindness  by  his 
master,  Robert's  mind  was  distracted  by  terrible 
fears  concerning  his  fate.  He  fully  expected  to  be 
killed,  if  not  tortured  to  death  by  slow  degrees. 
His  sleep  was  broken  by  dreams,  and  once  he  was 
so  terrified  that  he  started  upright,  trembling  in 
every  joint,  and  was  unable  to  get  another  wink 
of  sleep  all  that  night. 

At  length  his  master,  whose  name  was  Mevar- 
row,  reached  his  home,  which  was  a  considerable 
town.  His  arrival  was  announced  by  the  blowing 
of  a  large  shell  which  sounded  like  a  post-horn. 
This  brought  the  women  to  a  spacious  house, 
twelve  feet  high,  in  the  middle  of  the  town',  which 
Robert  saw  was  his  master's  home.  No  sooner  had 
he  seated  himself  at  the  door  than  out  crawled  his 
wife  on  hands  and  knees,  and  licked  his  feet ;  her 
mother  followed  her  in  the  like  disgusting  act,  and 
then  all  the  other  women  saluted  their  returning 
husbands  in  a  similar  manner,  after  which  each 
man  sought  his  own  home. 

Robert's  mistress  showed  great  kindness  and 
sympathy  for  his  unfortunate  condition,  and  pro- 
vidad  him  food  and  sleeping  accommodations  with 


12 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


the  attention  of  a  mother,  so  that  all  his  terrible 
fears  passed  away,  and  he  laid  down  and  slept  with- 
out concern.  This  poor  heathen  woman  was  her- 
self, like  Robert,  a  captive  and  a  slave  in  a  strange 
country,  and  had  good  reason  for  the  compassion 
she  showed  him. 

At  this  time  the  whole  country  was  divided  up 
among  many  different  tribes,  who  acknowledged 
no  common  head,  but  were  almost  constantly  at 
war  with  each  other.  Their  chief  wealth  was  in 
herds  of  cattle  and  slaves,  and  their  chief  occupation 
was  to  seize  one  another's  cattle,  and  carry  off 
the  women  and  children  of  the  villages  and  keep 
or  sell  them  as  slaves.  Yet  their  laws  among 
themselves  were  very  strict.  To  steal  a  neighbor's 
cow  or  •oxen  was  a  capital  offence.  No  man's  cat- 
tle were  allowed  to  trespass  upon  another's  planta- 
tion without  the  most  serious  consequences.  Rob- 
ert's business  was  to  attend  his  master's  herds,  drive 
them  to  water  and  keep  them  from  committing 
depredations ;  he  had  also  the  carrying  of  the  water 
from  the  stream  to  his  master's  house,  which  he 
found  a  very  irksome  task.  He  tells  us  that  some- 
times the  dews  were  so  heavy  that  the  inhabitants, 
who  had  no  water  near  them,  would  go  into  the 
fields  of  a  morning  with  two  wooden  dishes  and  a 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


13 


tub,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  collect  about  eight  or 
ten  gallons  of  dew  water. 

In  about  a  year's  time  the  chief  Mevarrow  went 
away  on  a  marauding  expedition,  leaving  Robert  be- 
hind. On  his  return,  his  wife  and  the  native  men 
whom  he  had  left  behind  came  crouching  to  him  and 
licked  his  feet.  Robert,  who  had  not  forgotten  the 
principles  of  the  religion  of  his  country,  refused  to 
perform  so  degrading  an  act.  The  king's  anger 
was  kindled.  He  wanted  to  know  why  Robert 
could  not  do  what  his  own  wife,  who  was  a  king's 
daughter,  and  his  own  mother  so  readily  conde- 
scended to.  Robert  answered  that  he  would  obey 
all  his  lawful  commands,  and  do  whatever  work 
he  thought  proper  to  employ  him  in,  but  this  act 
of  divine  homage  he  could  never  comply  with. 

The  king  passionately  upbraided  him  with  in- 
gratitude, and  still  insisted,  but  Robert  firmly 
maintained  his  purpose.  On  this  the  enraged 
king  rose  from  his  seat  and  made  a  push  at  him 
with  his  lance,  which,  however,  was  turned  aside 
by  his  brother.  The  brother  then  took  Robert 
apart,  and  after  considerable  persuasion  induced 
him  to  render  the  service  required,  as  it  was  noth- 
ing more  than  the  greatest  princes  were  obliged  to 
do  when  taken  prisonei*s  in  war. 


14         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


The  next  day  the  master  performed  the  usual 
ceremonies  of  thanksgiving  for  his  prosperous  re- 
turn. There  were  no  priests  among  them,  and  the 
chief  of  the  town  or  family  performed  all  the  divine 
offices  himself.  These  consisted  in  hanging  the  littio 
household  charm,  made  of  trifling  pieeas  of  wood, 
and  called  an  owley,  upon  a  cross  timber,  sup- 
ported by  forked  sticks  driven  into  the  ground, 
and  placing  a  pan  of  incense  under  it.  Sometimes 
the  fat  of  a  slain  ox  was  mingled  with  the  incense. 
A  prayer  was  then  offered,  in  which  all  the  people 
joined,  and  an  ox  was  slain  as  a  sacrifice  by  draw- 
ing a  knife  across  his  throat.  Sometimes  a  green 
bough  was  dipped  in  the  blood,  and  the  owley 
sprinkled  with  it. 

Eobert  refused  to  take  any  part  in  these  heathen 
ceremonies,  although  expressly  ordered  to  do  so  by 
his  master.  After  they  were  over,  the  latter  took 
the  owley  in  one  hand  and  a  lance  in  the  other, 
and  approaching  the  sturdy  youth,  asked  him  with 
a  frown  whether  he  was  prepared  for  the  conse- 
quences of  his  conduct.  He  answered  that  he 
would  rather  die  than  pay  divine  homage  to  any 
false  deity  whatsoever.  And  it  was  only  through 
the  most  earnest  and  decided  remonstrances  of 
his  brother  and  the  people  generally  that  Robert 


FAHlTRA 


—A  MADAGASCAR  CATTLE-PEN. 


The  breed  of  cattle  found  in  the  island  of  Madagascar  is  siniilai  to  that 
known  in  India  and  many  part?  of  Western  Asia,  and  is  remarkable  for  the 
prominent  hump  between  its  shoulders.  When  cattle  are  to  be  fattened  fur 
.use,  a  pit  is  dug  and  a  thatch  for  shelter  thrown  over  it.  The  animal  is  con- 
fined in  tliis  pit,  and  fed  from  a  rack  inserted  into  a  ledge  cut  at  the  surface 
from  the  claj'  side  of  the  pit.  Although  the  breed  is  an  inferior  one,  the 
people  are  so  impressed  with  its  superiority  that  they  carefully  guard  their 
cattle  from  any  admi.xture  with  foreign  stocks  that  have  been  imported  from 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 


Madagascar  Cattle. 


Page  15. 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


15 


did  not  fall  a  martyr  to  his  better  faith  on  the 
spot. 

He  now  returned  to  his  master's  cattle,  which  he 
tells  us  were  very  unruly.  Larger  than  any  of  the 
kind  he  had  ever  seen,  they  were  yet  so  active  that 
they  would  leap  high  fences  like  greyhounds.  They 
had  a  fleshy  hump,  almost  like  a  camel's,  between 
their  shoulders,  sometimes  as  much  as  eighty  pounds 
in  weight.  They  are  beautifully  streaked  and  spot- 
ted, but  do  not  give  as  much  milk  as  the  English 
cows. 

Robert's  experience  as  a  herdsman  was  hard 
enough.  He  was  obliged  to  remain  night  and  day 
with  the  cattle  several  miles  from  the  village,  and 
to  provide  for  himself  in  the  wilderness.  The  lit- 
tle milk  given  by  the  cows,  and  the  scanty  supplies 
of  roots  that  could  be  dug,  or  of  animals  that  could 
be  trapped,  left  him  and  his  companions  on  the 
verge  of  starvation,  so  that  they  were  driven  to 
the  very  natural  but  dangerous  expedient  of  kill- 
ing their  master's  cattle,  or  others  that  strayed  into 
their  neighborhood,  and  cooking  them  for  food. 
Robert  nearly  came  to  his  death  for  taking  part  in 
one  of  these  cooking  operations. 

The  cattle  and  their  drivers  were  now  summoned 
home  on  account  of  the  invasion  of  the  country  by 


16  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

a  neighboring  chief.  This  was  no  other  than  the 
king  of  the  Anosy  region,  or  Port  Dauphine,  and 
his  errand  was  to  demand  satisfaction,  after  two 
years  and  a  half,  for  the  murder  of  Robert's  ship- 
mates when  trying  to  escape  to  his  own  dominions. 
Robert's  hopes  were  immediately  excited  to  a  high 
pitch,  especially  as  the  king  who  had  thus  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  white  men  proposed  to  purchase 
him  from  his  master.  The  price  offered  was  two 
guns,  and  the  trade  was  about  to  be  made,  when 
Mevarrow,  fearing  some  fraud,  withdrew  from  the 
bargain,  and  sent  Robert  away  under  a  strong 
guard  to  the  woods;  and  although  the  king  of 
Anosy,  Tuley  Noro,  continued  to  press  his  suit, 
Robert  was  not  ransomed,  and  went  almost  crazy 
from  disappointment.  The  bitter  cup  of  slavery 
was  again  presented  to  his  lips.  He  was  sent  five 
miles  away  from  the  village  to  work  his  master's 
plantation,  and  was  compelled  to  provide  for  his 
own  support  by  digging  yams  until  he  had  cleared 
a  patch  for  himself  and  could  raise  his  own  eat- 
ables. It  was  a  whole  year  before  he  could  say  he 
had  a  full  supply  of  needful  food. 

One  of  the  most  important  productions  of  the 
country  was  honey.  The  chief  use  to  which  it 
was  put  was  in  the  manufacture  of  a  drink  called 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


17 


toake,  somewhat  intoxicating  and  resembling  our 
mead.  Robert  managed  to  gather  quite  a  number 
of  swarms  of  bees,  for  which  he  constructed  hives, 
after  the  manner  of  the  country,  from  the  hollowed 
trunks  of  trees.  But  the  neighbors  would  plunder 
his  hives,  and  in  order  to  save  the  honey  he  made 
use  of  one  of  the  superstitions  prevailing  in  the 
country. 

The  fortune-tellers  of  that  region  were  called 
umossees.  One  of  them  told  E-obert's  master  that 
he  had  a  secret  or  charm  that  would  effectually 
prevent  his  honey  being  stolen,  but  he  was  afraid 
to  acquaint  him  with  it,  for  it  would  infallibly  kill 
the  person  who  should  but  taste  of  it,  Mevarrow 
said  he  did  not  care  for  that,  and  a  bargain  was 
struck  that  the  umossee  should  have  two  cows 
and  two  calves  if  his  plan  proved  effectual,  if  he 
remained  to  test  its  success. 

The  next  morning  the  umossee  singled  out  a 
tree  of  a  kind  unknown  to  Robert,  but  any  tree 
would  hav«  done  as  well.  He  went  to  the  eastward 
of  this  tree  and  dug  up  a  piece  of  its  root,  then 
turned  to  the  westward  and  dug  up  another  piece. 
The  eastern  root  he  ordered  should  be  rubbed  on  a 
stone  with  a  little  water  and  the  water  sprinkled 
among  the  bees  and  upon  the  combs ;  and  if  any 

2 


18  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


one,  said  he,  should  steal  the  honey  and  eat  the  least 
morsel  of  it,  in  a  quarter  of  a  day  he  will  swell 
and  break  out  in  spots  like  a  leopard  from  head  to 
foot,  and  in  three  days  he  will  die.  But  when  the 
owner  or  his  family  wished  to  use  the  honey,  all 
they  need  do  was  to  rub  down  the  western  root 
with  water  and  sprinkle  the  hives  with  the  liquid. 
That  would  take  away  all  the  ill  effects  of  the  east- 
ern root.  So  if  you  caught  any  one  stealing  honey 
which  had  been  sprinkled  only  with  the  first  prepa- 
ration, and  you  wished  to  show  him  mercy  and 
spare  his  life,  you  need  only  give  him  some  of  the 
second  preparation,  which  he  called  vanhovalumy, 
or  root  of  life,  and  all  the  ill  effects  of  the  formei 
dose  would  disappear. 

But  how  was  all  this  fine  scheme  to  be  tested  ? 
Mevarrow  sprinkled  his  hives  and  honey,  as  di- 
rected by  the  magician,  and  offered  an  ox  as  a  re- 
ward to  any  one  who  would  come  forward  and  put 
it  to  trial,  but  no  one  would  venture.  The  super- 
stitious people  placed  such  confidence  in  the  magi- 
cian's power,  that  Mevarrow's  honey  was  already 
rendered  secure  by  his  arts. 

Robert,  however,  did  not  share  their  fears.  He 
knew  that  the  whole  thing  was  a  piece  of  trickery, 
and  he  came  forward  and  offered  to  put  it  to  the 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


19 


test,  provided  his  master  would  communicate  the 
secret — for  the  magician  and  his  master  had  kept 
it  to  themselves — if  he  survived  the  ordeal.  The 
master  cheerfully  agreed  to  this,  and  Robert  pro- 
ceeded to  swallow  down  the  sprinkled  honey  by 
handfuls  before  them  all,  asking  them,  in  the  mean 
time,  if  they  would  eat  some  with  him.  They 
replied  no,  not  for  ten  thousand  cattle,  and  they 
looked  every  moment  for  some  dismal  calamity  to 
befall  him.  His  plan  was  to  keep  up  their  belief, 
and  so,  after  eating  all  he  could,  he  secretly  drank 
a  great  quantity  of  milk  and  switched  his  skin 
with  nettles,  so  that,  with  the  swollen  and  dis- 
colored appearance  of  his  body  and  the  rumbling 
of  his  bowels,  the  natives  were  convinced  that  the 
poison  was  doing  its  work.  All  the  symptoms 
threatened  by  the  umossee  had  really  appeared. 

His  master  had  prepared  the  antidote ;  thd  peo- 
ple, terrified  at  his  danger,  flocked  around  the  door ; 
some  pitied  him  and  stood  astonished  at  the  great 
learning  of  the  umossee,  who  was  quite  as  much 
Robert's  dupe  as  the  people  were  his. 

Robert  drank  of  the  vanhovalumy,  or  "  root  of 
life,"  and  after  a  three  or  four  hours'  nap  rose  up 
perfectly  well.  The  remedy  was  thus  considered 
as  powerful  as  the  poison,  and  the  umossee  was 


20  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


regarded  a  very  great  and  wise  man,  and  becamt 
not  a  little  proud  of  his  success.  He  immediately 
put  up  the  price  of  his  roots  to  twenty  cows.  Me- 
varrow  not  only  disclosed  to  Eobert  the  secret,  but 
gave  him  a  cow  and  a  calf  for  his  trouble.  On 
returning  to  his  plantation,  his  neighbors  and  fel- 
low-slaves begged  him  to  put  a  mark  on  all  his 
hives,  so  that  when  they  went  out  honey-stealing 
they  might  not  be  killed  by  eating  any  of  his. 

This  was  exactly  what  he  had  been  aiming  at, 
and  accordingly  he  put  a  white  stick  before  every 
hive,  and  never  lost  any  honey  afterward.  In 
fact,  nobody  would  go  near  his  hives  for  fear  his 
bees  should  sting  and  the  very  wounds  prove  more 
serious. 

About  this  time  E-obert  profited  very  greatly  by 
another  of  their  superstitions.  Whenever  they  had 
an  ox  to  kill,  they  were  obliged  to  go  a  long  way 
for  one  of  the  royal  family,  as  it  was  not  consid- 
ered right  for  a  common  person  to  do  such  an  act. 
But  now  they  pitched  upon  Robert,  as  the  only 
white  man  among  them,  to  do  this  special  work  of 
butchering.  A  fee  of  four  or  five  ribs  was  always 
given  to  the  butcher,  and  Robert,  being  sent  for 
far  and  near,  now  lived  in  plenty,  and  could  act 
generously  toward  his  neighbors. 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


21 


Sometimes  he  undertook  to  communicate  to  the 
natives  the  truths  of  revealed  religion;  he  found 
them  curious  and  attentive,  but  disposed  to  be 
critical  and  unbelieving.  They  told  him  they 
firmly  believed  in  a  god  above  who  was  the  su- 
preme lord  of  all  other  gods,  demons  or  spirits 
whatever.  They  would  not  receive  the  truth  that 
God  had  made  a  revelation  of  his  will,  or  that 
Jesus  Christ  arose  from  the  dead.  They  had  laws 
against  theft,  adultery  and  murder.  They  revered 
their  parents  long  after  death,  and  imposed  a  fine 
upon  any  one  who  would  curse  another  man^s  pa- 
rents. They  used  no  profane  oaths,  and  they  gave 
their  slaves  one  day  in  seven  for  rest  and  recre- 
ation. They  never  persecuted  another  for  his  re- 
ligious opinions.  But  they  were  terribly  imposed 
upon  and  victimized  by  the  magicians,  and  they 
were  engaged  in  almost  perpetual  plunder  and  war, 
enslaving  one  another  and  living  in  constant  un- 
easiness and  fear  of  attack  upon  their  villages  or 
their  cattle. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  the  story  of  the 
wars  and  raids  in  which  Robert  was  obliged  to 
take  part.  Sometimes  the  people  with  whom  he 
lived  were  reduced  to  the  verge  of  starvation  by 
the  loss  of  their  cattle  in  this  way.    There  was, 


22  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


however,  a  prince  among  these  tribes  who  acted 
the  nobler  part  of  a  mediator,  and  who  succeeded 
for  a  time  in  quieting  their  cruel  and  disastrous 
contentions.  According  to  Robert,  he  was  led  to 
this  course  by  his  religious  convictions,  heathen 
though  he  was,  believing  that  the  supreme  being 
could  never  look  down  with  favorable  eye  on  a 
man  who  would  refuse  to  relieve  his  fellow-crea- 
tures from  such  calamities  as  his  countrymen  now 
suffered. 

After  many  strange  experiences,  Robert  made 
up  his  mind  to  run  away.  His  master,  suspecting 
his  intentions,  called  for  one  of  the  native  conju- 
rers, and  had  him  put  under  a  powerful  spell  to 
prevent  his  leaving.  The  master  had  such  entire 
confidence  in  the  power  of  the  charm  to  keep  Rob- 
ert from  running  away,  that  he  gave  him  all  his 
usual  liberty.  One  evening,  Robert  purposely 
left  a  heifer  in  the  field  when  he  drove  home  the 
other  cattle.  His  master,  noticing  its  absence,  told 
him  to  go  the  first  thing  in  the  morning  and  hunt 
up  the  missing  animal.  This  gave  Robert  exactly 
the  opportunity  he  wanted  to  get  a  good  start  be- 
fore his  absence  was  marked. 

So  at  the  break  of  day  he  took  his  departure,  and 
at  siinrise  he  had  walked  or  rather  ran  ten  miles, 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


23 


and  before  the  day  was  over  he  had  gone  as  much 
as  fifty  miles  on  foot. 

This  brought  him  to  the  residence  of  a  friendly 
chief,  who  received  him  with  great  hospitality,  and 
when  his  old  master,  a  few  days  afterward,  sent  to 
demand  his  return,  refused  to  deliver  him  up. 
Robert  thought  it  a  good  opportunity  to  show  the 
niessengers  how  little  effect  the  charm  of  the  ma- 
gician had  had  upon  him. 

"  See,"  said  he,  "  how  my  legs  are  swelled ! 
How  the  spirits  have  made  my  bones  rattle  in  my 
skin  !" — ^his  health  and  strength  being  perfectly  good 
at  the  time.  They  answered  that  he  was  a  white 
man,  and  they  had  no  power  over  him.  So  they 
continued  doubtless  as  much  under  the  power  of 
their  superstitions  as  ever. 

Robert  was  treated  with  much  kindness  by  the 
friendly  chief  Afferer,  and  might  have  enjoyed  him- 
self here  if  he  had  not  longed  for  his  home  and  coun- 
try. He  had  grown  so  familiar  with  Madagascar 
life  and  language  that  he  could  scarcely  talk  Eng- 
lish at  all.  But  he  soon  found  that  he  was  held  a 
captive  as  truly  as  under  ^his  master,  Mevarrow. 
When  he  proposed  to  leave,  the  chief  Afferer  flew 
into  a  passion  and  promised  to  take  care  that  ho 
nevei  got  out  of  his  country.    Two  men  were 


24  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


ordered  to  keep  him  in  sight  constantly,  night  and 
day.  And  for  two  months  he  was  never  allowed 
to  go  without  an  attendant. 

At  the  end  of  this  time,  the  chief  took  him  out 
to  hunt  wild  cattle.  After  an  exciting  day's  chase, 
when  the  rest  of  the  party  were  overcome  by  weari- 
ness and  sleep  and  a  hearty  supper,  Robert  rose 
up,  and  with  a  prayer  to  God  marched  away  to  the 
north,  and  never  saw  their  faces  again. 

For  many  days  he  roamed  through  a  trackless 
forest  and  over  lofty  hills,  living  chiefly  upon  the 
nourishing  roots  of  the  country,  and  sleeping  on  the 
grass,  the  stony  soil,  or  in  the  branches  of  a  tree. 
Occasionally  he  got  confused,  and  wandered  with- 
out purpose  hither  and  thither,  but  most  of  the 
time  he  made  progress  in  the  right  direction.  At 
one  time  he  saw  a  party  hunting  wild  cattle  on  a 
hill  a  good  way  to  the  westward.  He  could  see 
them  throw  their  lances  and  kill  three  beeves, 
Avhich  he  knew  was  more  than  they  could  carry 
away  with  them  at  once.  AYaiting  till  they  were 
gone,  he  hurried  to  the  spot  and  took  up  as  much 
meat  as  he  could  carr^^  This  kept  him  in  sub- 
stantial food  for  some  days. 

At  another  time  he  came  to  the  brow  of  a  hill 
which  wa?  too  steep  to  descend.    Withc»ut  due 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


25 


thought,  he  threw  down  his  lances,  hatchet  and 
beef,  expecting  to  get  down  by  a  very  tall  tree 
whose  top  branches  reached  close  to  the  edge  of 
the  hill.  When  he  found  he  could  not  do  this,  not 
willing  to  lose  his  lances  and  other  materials,  he 
made  ropes  of  the  bark  of  a  tree ;  and  fixing  them 
to  the  strongest  branches,  he  slid  down,  and  thus 
got  to  the  bottom  of  the  hill. 

One  evening,  seeing  a  hole  in  a  large  rock,  he 
decided  to  take  up  his  lodging  there  for  the  night; 
but  peeping  in,  he  was  suddenly  greeted  with  a 
great  outcry,  which,  with  the  echo  in  the  rock, 
made  such  a  confused  noise  that  he  could  not  con- 
ceive what  it  might  be.  Nearer  and  nearer  it 
came,  when  Robert,  planting  himself  with  his 
back  against  a  tree,  with  a  lance  in  hand,  w^aited 
the  attack  of  the  supposed  murderers.  They 
turned  out  to  be  a  herd  of  wild  swine,  who,  as 
soon  as  they  caught  sight  of  him,  fled  away  as 
terrified  as  himself. 

Another  night  he  slept  so  soundly  that  a  fox 
came  up  to  him,  and  seizing  him  by  the  heel  with 
its  teeth,  attempted  to  d*ag  him  away  bodily. 
Robert,  starting  up,  seized  a  firebrand  and  dealt 
the  fox  a  staggering  blow,  but  nothing  daunted, 
he  returned  to  the  attack  and  flew  at  Robert's  face. 


26 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


By  this  time  on  his  feet,  he  seized  one  of  the  lances 
and  dispatched  the  creature.  But  he  could  see  the 
eyes  of  three  others  shining  like  diamonds  through 
the  dark;  and  when  he  had  fallen  asleep  again, 
and  his  fire  had  burned  low,  one  of  them  boldly 
ventured  to  attack  him  again. 

Robert's  traveling  was  much  hindered  by  the 
wounds  received  from  the  fox.  He  had  to  rest  six 
days,  making  now  two  weeks  since  he  had  left 
Chief  Afferer's.  On  the  sixteenth  day,  at  noon,  he 
reached  the  open  country,  and  walked  once  more  on 
level  ground.  He  calculated  that  if  he  had  found 
the  path  he  could  have  made  the  distance  in  three 
days. 

On  the  eighteenth  day  he  came  to  a  deep  river ; 
as  he  was  searching  a  place  to  wade  or  swim  over 
he  spied  a  large  crocodile;  still  walking  on  the 
banks,  in  a  short  time  he  saw  three  more.  At 
length  he  found  a  shallow  place,  where  he  entered, 
and  waded  for  ten  yards,  expecting  to  swim  over 
the  rest  in  four  or  five  minutes,  but  a  crocodile 
boldly  made  after  him,  and  when  he  turned  to  run 
pursued  him  till  he  got  close  to  the  shore. 

In  this  perplexity  he  thought  of  a  plan  he  had 
seen  in  operation  in  Bengal,  where  the  crocodiles 
are  s(  bold  that  they  will  pull  a  man  out  of  a 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


27 


shallow  boat,  and  that  was  to  wait  until  night  and 
build  a  small  fire  at  the  bow  and  the  stern  of  the 
boat.  This  will  keep  the  crocodiles  at  a  distance. 
So  he  cut  a  stick  into  long  splinters,  waited  till  it 
grew  dark,  then  lighted  his  splinters  and  fastened 
them  to  the  end  of  his  lances,  and  committing  him- 
self to  the  care  of  Providence,  went  to  the  water  and 
swam  over  on  his  back,  holding  his  hatchet  and 
firebrand  in  his  hands. 

He  accomplished  the  passage  in  entire  safety, 
and  finding  some  wild  cattle  on  the  other  side, 
killed  and  cooked  enough  flesh  for  his  purposes. 
He  found  food  so  plenty,  and  the  wood  so  agreeable 
a  place  to  live  in,  that  he  determined,  rather  than 
live  with  a  bad  master  again,  to  fly  to  these  woods 
and  live  there  by  himself. 

Kobert  never  found  any  fierce  wild  beasts  oi 
venomous  serpents  on  the  island.  His  worst  ene- 
mies, besides  men,  were  crocodiles  as  we  have  de- 
scribed ;  besides  these,  he  was  troubled  at  this  time 
with  mosquitoes,  and  on  the  twenty-first  day  of 
his  travels  he  saw  several  wild  dogs  assailing  a  bull. 
They  never  attack  a  man  unprovoked,  but  if  in- 
terfered with  are  very  dangerous. 

On  the  twenty-second  day  a  long  line  of  fog 
lying  from  east  to  west  appeared  in  the  distance. 


28  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


This  Robert  suspected  to  rise  from  the  great  river 
Avhich  emptied  into  the  sea  by  the  port  of  Augus- 
tine, and  the  sight  put  new  life  in  him.  The  next 
day  the  fog  appeared  again,  but  much  nearer,  and 
in  the  afternoon,  after  penetrating  the  dense  under- 
wood on  the  bank,  he  reached  the  river's  brink, 
and  found  it  a  large  navigable  stream  twice  as 
broad  as  the  Thames  at  London. 

The  next  morning  he  looked  out  for  some  fallen 
trunks  of  trees,  which  he  dragged  to  the  river  side. 
Then  he  hunted  up  a  creeper,  large,  strong  and 
flexible,  like  a  rope,  and  with  this  he  bound  to- 
gether the  materials  of  his  raft.  Next,  he  made  a 
paddle  or  oar,  which  he  used  with  one  hand,  while 
he  held  the  lance  prepared  to  ward  oif  crocodiles 
with  the  other,  and  thus  equipped  he  made  the 
passage  of  the  river  in  safety. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  day  he  came  upon  a  settle- 
ment, and  was  very  kindly  received  by  the  people, 
although  they  had  been  greatly  impoverished  by 
wars  and  raids. 

They  brought  him  to  their  chief,  whom  Robert 
recognized  as  one  he  had  met  in  his  military  expe- 
ditions. At  first  the  chief  did  not  remember  him, 
and  Robert  offered  to  kneel  and  lick  his  feet.  This 
he  would  not  permit ;  and  when  informed  who  Rob- 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


29 


ert  was,  he  rose  up  and  embraced  him  with  great 
demonstrations  of  joy  and  friendship. 

The  next  day,  going  on  a  journey  with  his  royal 
friend,  he  came  in  sight  of  the  sea  and  the  bay  of 
St.  Augustine.  There  were  no  ships  visible,  but 
he  met  with  some  Europeans  and  negroes  who  had 
cast  their  lot  upon  the  island.  With  these  people 
he  remained  some  months,  and  just  before  he  ex- 
pected to  return  to  the  native  chief  he  was  taken 
dangerously  ill,  probably  with  the  island  fever, 
which  always  attacks  foreigners  on  the  coast. 
For  a  time  he  lay  as  if  dead,  and  a  consultation 
about  burying  him  was  held  among  his  friends. 
However,  he  revived  and  slowly  recovered,  so  that 
it  was  five  months  before  he  could  go  to  the  place 
he  called  home. 

His  native  friends  now  employed  him  to  carry 
aloft  before  their  armies  a  charm  prepared  by  an 
umossee,  in  order  to  ensure  them  the  victory  in 
battle.  He  bore  it  in  his  left  hand  three  or  four 
stones'  throw  in  advance  of  the  army  while  on  the 
march,  and  at  night  set  it  up  at  the  same  distance 
from  the  camp,  pointing  it  toward  the  enemy's 
country.  This  was  to  be  done  until  the  first  en- 
gagement with  the  enemy,  and  he  was  to  have  ten 
beeves  and  two  slaves  for  his  trouble.    It  was  sup- 


30  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


posed  that  the  charm  had  a  poisonous  quality,  and 
Kobert,  little  as  he  believed  in  it,  was  obliged  to 
wash  whenever  he  wished  to  come  near  any  of  the 
army. 

The  march  was  over  nearly  the  same  ground 
which  Robert  had  just  traveled  and  back  into  the 
territory  from  which  he  had  fled.  On  reaching  the 
river  infested  with  crocodiles  the  umossee  endeav- 
ored to  persuade  Eobert  that  the  charm  was  suf- 
ficient to  protect  him  in  crossing,  but  the  umossee 
himself  refused  to  venture  solely  under  its  protec- 
tion. At  the  first  battle,  which  soon  occurred, 
Robert  threw  the  charm  in  the  proper  manner  to- 
ward the  enemy  and  then  gladly  retired,  as  he  was 
entirely  unarmed.  He  afterward  received  seven 
cows  instead  of  ten  for  his  services. 

During  the  wars  that  followed,  Robert  was  taken 
captive  by  the  Sakalauvor  army,  and  made  the 
slave  of  their  leader.  These  Sakalauvors  corre- 
spond, in  all  probability,  with  the  Sakalavas  of 
our  own  time,  who  now  occupy  almost  the  entire 
western  coast  of  the  island. 

Here  he  was  kindly  treated,  and  the  prince  was 
deeply  interested  to  hear  the  story  of  Robert's  ad- 
ventures. He  gave  strict  orders  that  he  should 
want  for  nothing.  When  one  of  his  people  advised 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


31 


that  a  guard  be  set  over  him  to  prevent  his  running 
a\vay,  his  master  replied  there  was  no  danger  of 
that ;  as  white  men  have  no  home  on  the  island,  all 
places  are  alike  to  them,  and  they  will  stay  with 
those  who  give  them  the  best  entertainment.  This 
was  true  in  Robert's  case;  he  could  not  mend  mat- 
ters in  the  least  by  running  away. 

The  chief  ruler  of  the  country  into  which  he 
had  now  come  was  a  very  odd  and  yet  formidable- 
looking  person.  His  hair  was  twisted  in  rows  of 
tight  ringlets  or  knots  from  the  crown  of  his  head 
downward,  each  row  being  larger  than  the  one 
above  it.  Strings  of  beads,  some  of  them  gold, 
were  hung  among  these  ringlets,  a  very  fine  gold 
chain  was  round  his  neck,  two  strings  of  beads 
hung  on  his  shoulders,  six  heavy  bracelets  of  sil- 
ver were  on  each  wrist,  four  rings  of  gold  on  his 
fingers,  nearly  twenty  strings  of  beads  were  twisted 
closely  around  his  legs,  and  two  pieces  of  silk, 
called  lambas,  were  wrapped  around  his  person. 
This  bedizened  barbarian  was  over  eighty  years  old ; 
he  had  a  tawny  color  like  a  Hindoo,  and  a  fierce 
look,  so  that  he  was  truly  a  sight  to  behold. 

After  Robert  had  greeted  him  in  the  usual  ab- 
ject manner,  he  placed  him  by  his  side  and  told 
him  of  another  Englishman  in  the  country  named 


32  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

Will.  Robert  was  most  eager  to  see  him,  but  he 
was  not  in  the  village  at  the  time,  and  Robert's 
master  moved  off  with  him  before  WilFs  return. 
Arrived  at  his  journey's  end,  his  master  made  him 
captain  of  the  guard,  and  Robert  enjoyed  the 
liberty  and  privileges  belonging  to  such  a  high 
station. 

Traveling  with  his  master  on  a  pleasure-trip,  at 
one  time  they  came  upon  a  village  of  very  peculiar 
people  known  as  Virzimbers,  or,  as  they  are  other- 
wise called,  "  Vazimba."  Robert  speaks  of  them 
as  of  a  race  unlike  the  natives  of  the  island,  and 
using  a  language  peculiar  to  themselves,  although 
they  could  speak  the  general  language  if  they 
pleased.  The  forepart  and  backpart  of  their  heads 
are  flat,  probably  from  pressure  applied  in  infancy. 
They  have  no  idols,  but  pay  great  respect  to  the 
moon  or  to  some  animals.  Until  recently  they 
•were  under  no  government,  living  among  the  Saka- 
lavas,  and  unable  to  defend  themselves  from  im- 
position and  robbery.  It  is  believed  that  they 
were  the  miserable  remnant  of  the  aboriginal  tribe 
which  long  before  settled  and  ruled  the  island. 
Their  ancient  tombs,  scattered  in  the  interior,  are 
objects  of  superstitious  reverence  to  the  people  to 
^this  day. 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


33 


As  Robert  continued  on  his  journey  northward 
he  saw  many  more  Virzimbers  living  among  the 
Sakalavas.  He  also  found  the  natives  of  this 
region  living  at  peace  and  giving  their  whole  at- 
tention to  the  raising  of  cattle.  The  king's  cattle 
were  so  numerous  that  it  was  not  known  within 
three  or  four  thousand  how  many  he  had.  Some 
of  them  were  scarcely  able  to  walk  for  age,  others 
were  so  fat  they  could  not  stir.  The  principal 
herdsman  kept  a  great  court,  and  had  full  power  to 
decide  controversies  and  punish  offenders  without 
appeal.  He  had  attendants  like  the  king,  and 
owned  eight  thousand  head  of  cattle  himself.  Tal- 
low and  hides  were  so  plenty  that  no  one  paid  them 
any  attention. 

All  these  features  of  the  country  and  people  seem 
to  have  remained  permanent.  After  nearly  two 
centuries,  cattle  continue  to  be  the  main  possession 
and  chief  article  of  food  in  Madagascar.  Robert 
also  found  the  people  acquainted  with  the  use  and 
manufacture  of  iron,  as  they  still  are.  He  also  found 
articles  made  of  silver  and  copper,  and  afterward 
met  people  from  the  interior  who  worked  exten- 
Bively  in  tin  as  well  as  in  all  these  other  metals, 
these  being  the  principal  commodities  in  which 
they  traded.    A  kind  of  silkworm  was  plentiful, 

8 


34  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


from  whose  cocoons  a  good  article  of  silk  was 
gathered  and  woven  into  excellent  goods  for  wear. 
Their  journey  was  brought  to  an  end  by  the  re- 
turn of  the  rice-planting  season.  Robert  noticed 
that  men  of  the  highest  distinction  looked  after 
their  plantations  personally.  The  same  deep  and 
universal  interest  in  the  rice  crop  prevails  on  the 
island  in  our  day. 

Soon  after  his  return  Robert  met  with  the  Eng- 
lishman of  whom  he  had  heard  at  the  kind's  court. 
They  soon  recognized  each  other  as  countrymen, 
and  were  more  overjoyed,  says  Robert,  to  see 
each  other  than  relations  are  who  live  ever  so 
distant. 

Like  Robert,  William  Thornbury  was  a  runaway 
boy  bent  on  going  to  sea,  and  was  sorely  punished 
by  being  left  on  the  island  on  his  first  voyage. 
They  were  not  able  to  remain  together  long,  but 
they  did  not  part  before  giving  each  other  instruc- 
tions where  to  find  their  respective  friends  in  Eng- 
land, so  that  whoever  escaped  first  might  convey 
news  for  the  other,  and  so  aid  in  his  escape 
also. 

It  was  not  long  before  a  European  vessel  arrived 
on  the  coast,  and  all  who  had  slaves  to  sell  carried 
them  down  to  the  seaside.    Robert  petitioned  his 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


35 


master  to  sell  him  to  the  captain,  but  with  do  other 
effect  than  to  arouse  his  anger  and  to  fall  into 
worse  and  more  hopeless  bondage. 

Before  the  ship  set  sail  Robert  got  a  large  leaf 
a  foot  and  a  half  long,  and  wrote  upon  it :  "  Rob- 
ert Drury,  son  of  Mr.  Drury,  living  at  the  King's 
Head,  at  the  Old  Jewry,  now  a  slave  on  the  island 
of  Madagascar,  in  the  country  of  Morandavo,  or 
Young  Owl."  He  handed  the  leaf  to  a  native  who 
was  going  to  the  seashore,  and  desired  him  to  de- 
liver it  to  the  first  white  man  he  saw.  When  he 
returned,  Robert  asked  him  what  answer  he  had. 
"  None  at  all,''  was  the  reply,  "  for  I  suppose  the 
white  man  did  not  like  it,  since  he  threw  it  away, 
though  I  am  sure  it  was  as  good  if  not  better  than 
that  which  you  gave  me.  'Tis  true  I  dropped 
yours,  but  then  I  pulled  one  of  the  best  I  could 
find  from  a  tree." 

This  nearly  broke  Robert's  heart  with  disap- 
pointment. The  ship  got  away,  taking  Thornbury 
along,  but  leaving  him  to  pine  in  slavery  as  before. 
Still  his  wonderful  courage  and  spirits  did  not 
desert  him.  He  fled  to  another  prince,  sought  and 
obtained  his  protection  and  was  made  keeper  of 
his  firearms.  Here  he  was  so  comfortable,  and 
even  happy,  that  but  for  his  desire  to  see  his  pa- 


36  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


rents  again  he  would  not  have  cared  to  go  back  to 
England.  During  the  two  years  and  a  half  of  his 
stay  with  this  prince,  however,  he  had  nearly  lost 
his  life  from  the  hatred  of  his  former  master,  who 
never  forgave  him  for  running  away. 

At  last  came  the  long-deferred  hour  of  deliver- 
ance. Two  vessels  arrived  on  the  coast ;  and  while 
Robert  was  meditating  how  to  avail  himself  of  this 
opportunity  of  escape,  two  men  came  in  where  he 
was  sitting  with  the  prince,  carrying  a  basket  of 
palmetto  leaves.  It  was  intended  for  the  white 
man,  and  upon  opening  it  there  were  found  in  it 
pens,  ink  and  paper  and  a  letter  addressed  to 
Robert. 

It  was  from  the  captain  of  one  of  the  ships. 
Robert  opened  it  like  a  man  in  a  dream,  and  found 
it  contained  the  announcement  that  there  was  a 
letter  from  his  father  on  board  the  ship,  and  that 
the  captain  had  full  instruction  to  purchase  his 
liberty  at  any  cost. 

The  prince,  seeing  Robert's  countenance  greatly 
change  in  reading  the  letter,  asked  him  what  it 
meant.  Robert  told  him  what  the  captain  had 
written.  "How  do  you  know  all  this says  the 
prince.  "Can  you  conjure?"  He  then  took  the 
letter,  and  turning  it  over  and  over,  said  he  could 


THE  BOY  SLAVE. 


37 


not  conceive  how  any  message  could  be  carried  in 
that  way  except  by  conjuration. 

Robert  had  to  wait  until  the  next  day  before  he 
could  get  his  master's  consent  to  his  departure,  and 
he  leaves  it  to  his  readers  to  imagine  what  a  night 
of  disorder  and  agitation  he  must  have  spent.  In 
the  morning  the  prince  made  him  the  most  gener- 
ous offers  if  he  chose  to  remain ;  but  if  he  was  de- 
termined to  go,  he  gave  him  full  permission,  and 
not  only  allowed  him  to  carry  away  all  his  prop- 
erty, but  refused  to  take  any  compensation  from 
the  captain  beyond  some  trifling  present. 

And  so,  in  the  month  of  January,  1717,  Robert 
bade  a  joyful  adieu  to  the  land  of  his  captivity, 
where  he  had  spent  his  entire  youth,  the  most  im- 
portant part  of  his  life.  He  had  gone  away  a  way- 
ward boy.  He  came  back  a  man,  but  almost  weaned 
from  Christianity  and  civilization,  though  not  from 
all  religion.  The  vessel  reached  England  on  Sat- 
urday, September  the  9th,  making  his  absence  from 
home  cover  the  space  of  sixteen  years  and  nine 
months.  Here  he  found  father  and  mother  both 
dead,  the  latter  having  long  before  died  from  grief 
on  hearing  of  her  son^s  shipwreck.  So  severe  was 
Robert's  punishment  for  his  early  and  thoughtless 
act  of  disobedience. 


CHAPTER  II. 


MADAGASCAR—  WHA  T  IT  IS— INHABITANTS  AND 
CUSTOMS, 

HE  great  island  of  Madagascar,  lying  three 
hundred  miles  east  of  Southern  Africa,  is 
nearly  the  largest  island  in  the  world,  being 
exceeded  only  by  Borneo  (not  reckoning  the 
continental  Australia  as  an  island)  and  being  almost 
three  times  as  large  as  Great  Britain.  It  is  nearly 
one  thousand  miles  long  and  averages  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  in  width,  containing  an  area  of 
nearly  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand  square 
miles.  This  is  considerably  greater  than  that  of 
the  New  England  and  Middle  States  combined 
with  that  of  Maryland,  Virginia,  West  Virginia 
and  Ohio.  If  one  end  of  the  island  were  laid 
upon  the  city  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  the  other  end 
would  reach  to  Jacksonville,  Florida,  and  in  width 
the  island  would  entirely  cover  up  the  great  State 
of  Pennsylvania. 

Over  this  vast  territory  the  hand  of  Providence 

38 


3IADAGASCAR, 


39 


has  strewn  the  richest  and  most  varied  natural 
gifts.  As  in  Mexico,  you  advance  from  a  low, 
moist  and  feverish  climate  on  the  coast  to  high 
and  healthful  table  lands  in  the  interior,  while  a 
lofty  range  of  mountains  traverses  the  length  of 
the  island  like  a  powerful  backbone  of  rocks,  some 
of  the  peaks  rising  to  the  height  of  twelve  thou- 
sand feet  from  the  level  of  the  sea.  There  are 
numerous  rivers  and  lakes,  there  are  warm  and 
cold  and  medicinal  springs.  The  forest  is  every- 
where deep,  dark  and  often  impenetrable  to  hu- 
man feet.  The  lumber  is  valuable  for  building 
and  for  ornaments.  Plants  of  rare  beauty  and 
marvelous  size  abound.  A  missionary,  Mr. 
Ellis,  found  a  kind  of  creeper  growing  upon  the 
trunks  of  trees  and  bearing  a  magnificent  flower 
seven  inches  in  breadth,  the  same  in  height,  with 
a  spur  fourteen  inches  long.  The  color  is  pure 
white  and  the  flowers  preserve  their  delicate  beauty 
for  five  weeks.  Mr.  Ellis  brought  some  of  the 
plants  to  England,  and  their  flow^ers  formed  part 
of  the  bridal  bouquet  of  the  crown  prince  of  Prus- 
sia, "  Our  Fritz,"  on  the  occasion  of  his  marriage 
with  the  princess  royal  of  England.  The  "  trav- 
eler's tree  "  is  not  only  an  exceedingly  graceful  and 
impressive  object,  but  it  gets  its  name  from  the 


40         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


abundant  store  of  pure  water  which  it  provides. 
Each  one  of  its  immense  leaves,  from  four  to  six 
feet  long,  gathers  up  on  its  surface  and  sends  down 
its  channeled  stem,  six  feet  farther,  to  the  natural 
cavity  or  bowl  at  the  foot  of  the  stalk,  a  quart  or 
more  of  cool,  clear  water,  which  the  thirsty  traveler 
or  workman  may  depend  on  finding  there  in  the 
dryest  weather.  Twenty-four  of  these  bright, 
green,  gigantic  leaves  are  spread  out  like  a  fan  at 
the  top  of  the  smooth  branchless  trunk,  some  thirty 
feet  from  the  ground,  giving  a  most  striking  ap- 
pearance to  the  region  of  country  in  which  they 
prevail.  The  forests  of  Madagascar  also  produce 
India-rubber  trees,  glue  trees,  trees  furnishing  food 
for  silkworms;  figs,  tamarinds,  pineapples,  cocoa- 
nuts  and  oranges  grow,  with  peaches  and  apples. 
E-ice  is  the  chief  food  of  the  inhabitants,  but  pota- 
toes are  extensively  cultivated  and  the  cofiPee  plant 
flourishes.  There  is  also  a  tree  called  "  tangena," 
with  a  fruit  as  large  as  peaches,  from  the  kernel  of 
which  a  deadly  poison  is  procured,  which  was  former- 
ly used  by  the  cruel  and  superstitious  authorities  to 
test  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  accused  persons. 

Although  comparatively  little  search  has  been 
made  beneath  the  earth's  surface  for  those  mineral 
treasures  which  contribute  so  largely  to  the  wealth 


MADAGASCAR. 


41 


and  progress  of  nations,  Madagascar  is  already 
known  to  contain  abundance  of  excQllent  iron,  one 
of  the  mountains  of  the  interior  being  called  "  Iron 
Mountain."  The  natives  themselves  have  rude 
furnaces  for  smelting  the  ore,  and  for  generations 
they  have  prepared  their  own  pig  and  bar  iron  as 
an  article  of  merchandise,  which  their  own  smiths 
have  bought  and  turned  into  rude  articles  for  the 
common  use  of  the  people.  Coal  and  lime  have 
also  been  found,  but  almost  everything  in  the  way 
of  research  and  inquiry  in  this  department  yet  re- 
mains to  be  done.  It  is  not  at  all  unlikely  that 
all  the  elements  of  a  career  of  wide  prosperity 
and  advancement  have  been  provided  by  a  wise 
Providence  for  this  interesting  people,  now  to 
be  numbered  with  the  Christian  nations  of  the 
world. 

The  animal  creation  in  Madagascar  contains  no 
fierce  and  dreadful  wild  beasts,  as  the  lion  and  the 
tiger.  There  are  plenty  of  cattle,  all  with  humps 
on  their  backs.  Many  of  our  common  domestic 
animals,  sheep,  pigs,  goats  and  fowls,  are  found. 
There  are  serpents,  some  very  large,  but  they  are 
for  the  most  part  believed  to  be  harmless.  The  most 
unpleasant  creature  to  meet  is  the  crocodile,  who 
will  not  scruple  to  seize  a  bullock  and  make  a  meal 


42  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR 


of  him  as  he  comes  to  the  water  to  drink.  For- 
tunately, they  will  also  devour  their  own  young. 
These  are  hatched  on  the  shore  and  make  for  the 
water  as  soon  as  they  leave  the  shell.  It  is  said 
that  sometimes  a  whole  row  of  crocodiles  will  be 
waiting  to  gobble  them  up  as  soon  as  they  get  with- 
in reach.  That  is  a  good  service  for  man,  but  not 
a  very  encouraging  reception  for  the  young  croco- 
dile. They  are  also  said  to  be  partial  to  dogs,  but 
the  dogs  are  sometimes  more  than  a  match  for  them. 
When  a  dog  wants  to  cross  the  water  where  his 
enemies  are  in  wait,  he  will  bark  a  long  time  at 
the  water  side  to  attract  all  the  crocodiles  together, 
and  then,  as  he  can  move  much  faster  than  the  lub- 
berly crocodiles,  he  will  run  away  and  cross  the 
river  higher  up  before  any  of  them  can  reach  the 
spot. 

The  inhabitants  of  Madagascar  belong  to  three  or 
four  different  races.  How  or  when  they  first  occu- 
pied the  island,  or  who  were  the  aborigines  or  earli- 
est inhabitants,  is  not  certainly  known,  the  Virzim- 
bas  being  the  oldest  known  to  us.  When  Robert 
Drury  was  on  the  island,  and  as  late  as  a  half  a 
century  ago,  there  was  no  common  government,  but 
the  different  tribes  ruled  in  their  own  territories  in- 


MADAGASCAR. 


43 


dependently  of  each  other.    At  this  time  the  Hova 
tribe  occupied  the  interior  portion  of  the  island.  The 
name  of  their  king  or  chief  was  Radama,  who  had 
ascended  the  throne  in  1808,  when  but  sixteen  years  j 
old.   It  is  these  Hovas  and  their  rulers  with  whom  1 
almost  the  entire  history  of  Madagascar  is  concerned.  \ 

Before  the  time  of  King  Radama  the  island  was 
indeed  known  to  Europeans,  but  only  slave-traders 
and  pirates  got  a  foothold  on  it.  The  thick  dark- 
ness of  heathenism,  unbroken  by  a  single  ray  of 
gospel  light,  brooded  upon  the  vast  and  beautiful 
island,  the  scum  and  offscouring  of  Christian  na- 
tions infested  its  shores  and  multiplied  the  miseries 
of  its  people.  Long  before  the  missionaries,  Cap- 
tain Kidd  the  pirate  had  settled  there,  and  Portu- 
guese and  French  and  English  had,  one  after  the 
other,  built  forts  and  endeavored  to' gain  a  foothold 
upon  the  shore ;  but  the  deadly  coast  fevers  and 
the  opposition  of  the  natives  or  other  causes  drove 
them  all  away,  until  at  the  time  mentioned,  Mada- 
gascar had  been  almost  entirely  abandoned  by 
Europeans. 

The.  Hova  tribe  have  light  olive  complexions, 
"hazel  eyes  and  soft  black  hair,  with  features  often 
somewhat  regular  and  Caucasian,  but  generally 
heavier  and  coarser,  though  never  approaching  the 


44  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


negro  type.  Frequently  the  heads  are  high  and 
nobly  formed,  and  the  foreheads,  according  to  Mr. 
Ellis,  are  always  well  shaped,  which  is  not  the  case 
with  other  tribes  on  the  island. 

Much  that  is  favorable  may  be  said  of  these 
Hovas  and  of  the  people  of  Madagascar,  or  the 
Malagasy,  as  they  are  called.  We  have  seen  that 
they  were  far  above  a  savage  condition  long  before 
the  gospel  had  reached  and  elevated  them.  They 
tilled  the  ground  and  made  a  business  of  raising 
cattle.  Rice  and  beef  were  their  chief  articles  of 
diet.  Although  the  climate  is  warm,  all  above  the 
very  poor  were  decently  clothed  in  silk  or  cotton 
cloths  or  goods  made  from  the  fibres  of  the  palm 
tree,  all  of  their  own  manufacture.  Knives,  axes  and 
other  articles  of  iron  were  in  use  among  them  before 
their  acquaintance  with  English  people.  They  had 
houses  of  wood  and  stone ;  they  fortified  their  towns 
and  cities  with  walls  and  ditches  having  gateways 
of  stone;  they  were  temperate  in  drinking,  water 
being  almost  the  universal  beverage.  Ardent 
spirits  were  prohibited  at  the  capital,  and  drunk- 
enness was  unknown  except  at  the  seaports  fre- 
quented by  the  Europeans. 

Among  the  customs  found  among  the  inhabit- 
ants more  recently,  we  mention  several.  They 


The  Hovas. 


Page  +4. 


3IADAGASCAB. 


46 


keep  a  cock  roosting  iu  the  houses  to  rouse  them 
by  his  well-known  call.  The  time  of  day  is  told 
by  the  shadow  on  the  ground.  They  amuse  them- 
selves with  hunting,  bull-fights  and  a  game  like 
checkers.  Sometimes  they  buried  a  poor  fowl  in 
the  ground,  leaving  the  head  out  as  a  mark.  He 
who  could  first  hit  the  head  with  a  stone  became 
owner  of  the  fowl. 

The  affection  and  pride  taken  by  parents  in  their 
children  are  shown  from  the  very  singular  custom 
of  the  father  taking  as  his  own  the  name  he  has 
given  to  his  child ;  instead  of  the  child  being  called 
the  son  of  so-and-so,  the  father  drops  his  old  name 
and  calls  himself  the  father  of  so-and-so.  For 
example,  if  a  man  named  Rabe  has  a  child  born, 
to  whom  he  has  given  the  name  Soa,  he  drops  his 
original  name  and  becomes  Rami-Soa,  i.  e.,  the 
father  of  Soa.  This  feeling  of  pride  in  his  descend- 
ants has  been  likened  to  that  of  the  noble  Roman 
matroi^  Cornelia,  as  expressed  in  her  memorable 
reply  to  the  friend  who  wished  to  see  her  jewels. 
Waiting  until  her  two  sons  Tiberius  and  Cains 
camo  in,  she  pointed  to  them,  saying,  ^' These  are 
my  jewels."  At  another  time  she  is  reported  to 
have  said,  "Call  me  not  Scipio's  daughter,  call 
me  the  mother  of  the  Gracchi." 


46  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


The  fathers  carried  the  little  boys  on  theii 
shoulders,  and  held  them  by  one  hand  to  keep  them 
from  falling,  the  mothers  carried  the  children  on 
their  backs  and  sides,  and  some  degree  of  reverence 
or  affection  is  shown  by  the  custom  which  prevailed 
among  the  grown-up  children  of  offering  to  the 
mother  a  piece  of  money  called  "  the  fragrance  or 
remembrance  of  the  back/'  meaning  that  they  have 
not  forgotten  the  mother's  care  and  kindness  to 
them  when  little.  The  people  are  generally  hos- 
pitable to  travelers,  meeting  them  as  they  enter  a 
village  with  refreshments  and  welcoming  them  to 
their  dwellings. 

And  now  for  the  darker  side  of  the  picture. 
Slavery  and  the  slave-trade  were  established  insti- 
tutions of  the  country.  It  is  believed  that  from 
three  to  four  thousand  natives  were  annually  sold 
away  from  the  island.  The  sorrow  of  these  wretched 
exiles  is  commemorated  in  the  name  given  to  the 
elevated  place  from  which  they  could  take. a  final 
view  of  the  homes  they  were  leaving,  and  catch  a 
first  glimpse  of  the  sea  which  was  soon  to  bear  them 
for  ever  away.  This  spot,  on  one  of  the  mountain 
roads  leading  from  the  coast  to  the  capital,  and 
surrounded  by  scenes  of  vastness,  grandeur  and 
beauty,  is  called  "the  weeping-place  of  the  Ho- 


MADAGASCAR 


47 


vas."  The  slave  population  of  the  country  was 
large,  but  ordinarily  masters  were  not  oppressive  or 
cruel,  though  they  had  the  lives  of  the  slaves  in 
their  power. 

There  were  courts  of  law  and  trials  and  testi- 
mony taken,  and  the  accuser  had  to  face  the  ac- 
cused with  proof  of  his  charge,  but  nearly  all  was 
empty  form,  bribery  was  almost  universal ;  no  man's 
word  could  be  depended  on,  honesty  was  scarcely 
known  or  valued  and  children  were  taught  decep- 
tion as  an  accomplishment. 

Punishments  were  cruel  and  barbarous  in  the 
extreme.  There  were  fourteen  crimes  punishable 
by  death,  and  many  of  the  modes  of  execution 
were  such  as  to  give  the  greatest  pain,  such  as 
burning  by  a  slow  fire,  beating,  starving,  crucify- 
ing, hurling  over  a  precipice,  drowning  in  boiling 
water  and  the  administering  of  poison  called  tangena. 
Not  even  a  form  of  justice  was  observed  in  this 
last-mentioned  process.  The  tangena  took  the 
place  of  a  trial.  Any  one  accused  of  a  crime,  be 
he  slave  or  noble,  might  be  compelled  to  take  it 
and  be  judged  innocent  or  guilty  by  its  effects.  If 
it  killed  him,  or  if  he  did  not  throw  up  both  the 
poison  and  the  bits  of  skin  in  which  it  was  wrapped, 
he  was  declared  guilty;  otherwise  he  was  pro- 


48  TSE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

nounced  innocent,  and  escaped.  It  is  believed  that 
a  tenth  part  of  the  people  have  been  compelled  at 
some  time  or  other  to  take  the  tangena,  and  some 
of  them  as  many  as  two  or  three  times.  One-half 
of  this  number,  three  or  four  thousand  every  year, 
died  under  the  dose,  while  those  who  escaped  with 
their  lives  suffered  often  permanently  from  its  evil 
effects. 

The  people  from  highest  to  lowest  were  great 
thieves.  Madame  Ida  Pfeiffer,  the  celebrated  Ger- 
man traveler,  whose  last  journey  was  in  this  island, 
and  who  died  from  the  effects  of  the  Madagascar 
fever,  had  a  gold  watch  and  parasol  stolen  from 
her,  but  was  told  that  it  was  of  no  use  to  try  to 
recover  them.  There,  she  was  told,  everybody  stole, 
even  high  officers ;  in  robberies  of  any  importance 
they  were  pretty  sure  to  have  a  hand,  and  it  was 
dangerous  to  attempt  proceedings  against  them. 
Her  parasol  was  taken  while  at  the  house  of  the 
chief-justice  of  the  kingdom. 

There  is  a  custom  of  burying  a  man's  money 
with  him  when  he  dies,  and  of  course,  when  a  rich 
man  dies,  the  thievish  propensities  of  the  people 
are  awakened.  Immense  and  solid  tombs  of  ma- 
sonry are  built  at  great  cost  for  preserving  the  body 
and  the  treasures  thus  buried  from  plunder.  While 


MADAGASCAR. 


49 


Mr.  Ellis  was  on  a  visit  to  the  capital,  a  chief  died 
and  was  buried  in  one  of  these  large  sepulchres, 
which  had  a  stone  in  the  doorway  and  earth  heaped 
up  against  it.  An  armed  watch  was  appointed  till 
the  masonry  should  be  finished.  On  the  second 
night  ten  men  began  operations  for  moving  the 
treasure,  and  had  to  be  fired  on  by-  the  guard. 
Even  the  graves  of  the  poor  are  robbed,  the  bodies 
stripped  of  their  grave-clothes,  and  the  small  pieces 
of  silver  put  in  their  mouth  taken  away. 

The  difference  between  a  lie  and  the  truth  seemed 
almost  unknown.  If  a  man  could  gain  anything 
by  deception,  the  deceit  was  approved  and  some- 
times rewarded;  if  truth  was  disadvantageous,  it 
was  regarded  a  weakness  and  a  crime  to  utter  it. 
The  love  of  truth  for  its  own  sake  did  not  exist. 
In  fact,  a  serious  and  public  complaint  was  once 
made  against  the  preaching  of  Christianity  on  the 
ground  that  it  taught  the  people  to  hesitate  about 
telling  lies  even  to  deceive  their  country^s  enemies. 

Ida  Pfeiffer  says  in  general  there  is  nothing  more  - 
ridiculous  than  to  hear  a  native  speak  of  his  family 
and  of  domestic  ties.  She  never  met  with  a  more 
immoral  people  than  those  of  Madagascar  at  the 
time  of  her  visit.  She  dared  not  trust  her  pen  to 
chronicle  the  many  immoral  customs  that  prev^ailed 

4 


60  THE  STORY  OF  MA  )  AG  AS  CAR, 

even  in  the  highest  families  in  the  land,  and  which 
seemed  entirely  natural  to  the  people.  A  man 
might  divorce  his  wife  and  take  another  as  often 
as  he  chose.  Female  virtue  was  of  very  little  ac- 
count, and  by  the  established  customs  of  the  coun- 
try did  not  affect  the  legitimacy  of  the  children. 

If  the  children  were  born  on  unlucky  days,  it 
was  not  considered  a  crime  to  murder  the  little 
creatures.  This  was  done  by  tying  a  string  tightly 
around  their  necks  and  holding  their  heads  in  warm 
water,  or  they  were  laid  upon  the  ground  in  front 
of  a  herd  of  cattle  as  they  were  being  driven  into 
an  enclosure  and  suffered  to  be  trampled  to  death. 
How  differently  the  dear  baby  is  welcomed  in  a 
Christian  home !  and  this  difference  is  just  one  of 
the  things  which  most  clearly  illustrate  the  effect 
of  Christianity  upon  the  affections  and  character 
of  a  people. 


CHAPTER  III. 


PROVIDENTIAL  PREPARATION.— THE  GOSPEL 
RECEIVED. 

HE  people  of  Madagascar  were  not  without 
a  religion.  The  whole  laud  was  full  of 
idols.  The  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars,  cer- 
tain mountains,  thunder,  lightnings,  earth- 
quakes, hail  and  the  like,  were  said  to  be  God. 
Anything  new  which  they  could  not  comprehend, 
like  a  photograph,  was  also  God.  Great  power 
was  ascribed  to  their  idols,  and  the  people  trembled 
in  superstitious  terror  before  them.  They  were  be- 
ings or  things  without  goodness,  virtue  or  intelli- 
gence, and  without  power  to  raise  their  worshiper 
from  degradation.  The  idols  granted  no  favors 
out  of  mercy,  but  only  for  the  pay  the  people  had 
to  bring  to  their  priests.  They  were  mean,  cov- 
etous and  cruel.  The  trial  by  poison,  the  tangena, 
was  supposed  to  be  peculiarly  under  their  direction, 

51 


52  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


and  the  priests  who  prepared  the  deadly  drink  were 
paid  for  their  work.  When  the  victim  was  pro- 
nounced guilty  and  slain,  and  even  when  his  wife 
and  children  were  sold  into  slavery,  his  whole 
property  was  confiscated,  and  half  went  to  the 
king  and  half  to  the  priests,  while  the  entire  ex- 
pense of  the  trial  was  exacted  from  the  family  or 
relations. 

It  would  seem  that  the  worship  of  the  earlier 
inhabitants,  called  Vazimba.  and  of  many  of  the 
tribes,  was  simple  and  comparatively  spiritual. 
They  had  neither  idol  nor  temple,  but  made  an 
altar  of  a  tomb  and  offered  sacrifices  of  oxen, 
sheep  and  poultry,  the  blood  and  fat  of  which 
were  offered  on  the  altar  and  the  rest  eaten  by  the 
worshipers.  There  had  been  in  all  probability  a 
great  and  rapid  decline  in  the  character  of  their 
religion  not  long  before  the  knowledge  of  the  true 
God  was  brought  to  their  shores,  thus  in  Provi- 
dence creating  a  deeper  spiritual  need  and  prepar- 
ing the  people  for  a  better  appreciation  of  Chris- 
tianity. It  is  said  that  the  so-called  national  idols 
are  comparatively  modern,  having  been  introduced 
by  the  rulers  from  political  motives.  In  like  man- 
ner, just  before  the  appearance  of  Christianity,  the 
religions  of  the  Roman  world  were  sunken  to  the 


PROVIDENTIAL  PREPARATION.  53 


lowest  point  of  degradation  and  could  scarcely  have 
been  maintained  but  for  political  considerations. 

Just  as  the  world  was  prepared  for  a  univer- 
sal religion  and  for  the  missionary  labors  of  the 
apostles  by  the  universal  empire  of  Rome,  so  the 
political  unity  of  Madagascar  was  accomplished  in 
time  to  make  easier  the  spread  of  a  new  religion 
over  the  whole  country.  King  Radama,  whom  we 
already  saw  ascending  the  throne  of  the  Hova 
tribe  in  1808,  when  a  boy  of  sixteen,  in  a  reign' 
of  twenty  years  proved  himself  the  Caesar  or  Na- 
poleon of  Madagascar.  AYith  the  aid  of  arms  sup- 
plied by  the  English,  he  conquered  the  other  tribes 
and  made  himself  master  of  the  whole  island,  with 
the  exception  of  two  districts  in  the  south.  His 
tribe  and  his  dynasty  have  ever  since  been  lords 
of  Madagascar,  and  instead  of  half  a  dozen  differ- 
ent petty  principalities,  with  various  laws,  religions 
and  prejudices,  missionaries  have  needed  only  to 
gain  an  entrance  into  one. 

Eadama,  like  Caesar  and  Napoleon,  was  quite  as 
famous  as  a  ruler  and  a  reformer  as  a  warrior. 
Although  he  was  utterly  reckless  of  the  waste  of 
human  life  in  his  wars,  and  although  he  would 
sentence  a  slave  to  death  from  a  mere  whim,  yet 
beyond  all  doubt  he  was  deeply  anxious  for  the 


54  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


prosperity  and  progress  of  his  countrymen.  He 
was  the  first  to  open  the  door  of  civilization  to  the 
people.  He  formed  a  just  opinion  of  the  superi- 
ority of  the  European  people,  and  desired  his 
own  to  share  their  advantages.  His  policy  was 
shaped  by  this  desire.  Under  a  treaty  with 
the  British  he  abolished  the  slave-trade,  retaining 
slavery  at  home,  however.  He  made  himself  ac- 
quainted with  the  work  of  missionary  societies  and 
their  beneficial  effects  upon  heathen  countries ;  and 
when  the  first  English  missionary  reached  his  cap- 
ital, Antananarivo,  in  1820,  he  was  cordially  wel- 
comed by  Radama,  who  promised  favor  and  pro- 
tection to  him  and  to  as  many  others,  with  their 
wives  and  families,  as  might  come  to  his  aid. 

Radama  kept  his  promise  faithfully.  Besides 
studying  English  and  French  himself,  and  so  giv- 
ing his  people  an  example,  he  watched  with  the 
deepest  interest  the  work  of  the  missionaries  in 
reducing  the  language  of  his  own  people  to  a  writ- 
ten form,  for  it  existed  previously  only  on  the  lips 
of  the  people.  He  was  amused  at  the  several 
changes  in  the  appearance  of  the  words  before  the 
right  spelling  was  agreed  upon.  Seeing  the  per- 
plexity caused  by  the  different  sounds  often  attached 
to  the  same  letter  in  English,  he  issued  an  edict 


PROVIDENTIAL  PREPARATION.  55 

that  in  the  Malagasy  language  no  letter  should 
have  more  than  one  sound. 

The  missionaries  soon  had  their  hands  full  in  the 
work  of  teaching.  An  adult  school  under  the 
special  favor  of  the  king  was  opened  in  the  palace 
yard,  in  which  the  officers  of  the  army  and  their 
wives,  to  the  number  of  three  hundred,  were  in- 
structed by  the  king's  secretary.  The  best  native 
scholars  were  soon  set  at  teaching  the  natives  in 
the  neighboring  villages.  The  king  was  so  well 
pleased  with  the  result  that  he  proposed  the  for- 
mation of  one  central  model  school,  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  missionaries,  for  the  express  purpose  of 
training  native  teachers. 

As  may  be  supposed,  Radama  could  not  stop 
here.  Complaints  were  made  and  excitement  arose 
at  the  results  of  the  teaching  in  creating  disrespect 
for  the  national  idols,  but  the  king  dismissed  the 
complainants,  bidding  them  mind  their  own  bus- 
iness and  leave  the  children  to  attend  to  their  les- 
sons. Afterward  he  cautioned  the  missionaries  not 
to  go  too  fast,  and  forbade  gathering  the  children 
for  public  worship. 

Although  he  continued  to  pay  regard  to  the  false 
gods  of  the  island,  he  more  than  once  showed  that 
at  heart  he  cared  nothing  for  them.    When  the 


56  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR, 


priests  required  him  to  halt  with  his  army  outside 
of  the  capital  for  a  number  of  days,  he  marched 
straight  to  his  palace,  without  waiting  in  the  sub- 
urbs in  respect  to  their  commands.  When  the 
people  in  one  of  the  sacred  villages  applied  to  him 
for  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth  for  their  idol,  he  an- 
swered, "  Surely  he  must  be  very  poor  if  he  cannoi^ 
get  a  piece  of  cloth  for  himself.  If  he  is  a  god,  he 
can  provide  his  own  garments." 

When,  in  1826,  the  first  printing-press  ever  seen 
in  Madagascar  was  received  by  the  missionaries, 
no  one  rejoiced  more  sincerely  than  the  king.  It 
is  among  the  many  honorable  events  of  his  reign 
that  it  witnessed  the  introduction  of  letters  into 
the  language  and  the  wide  diffusion  of  education 
under  Christian  influence. 

Fearful  of  endangering  his  throne  through  the 
violence  of  heathen  prejudice  if  he  suffered  the 
missionaries  to  move  too  rapidly,  he  cannot  be  said 
to  have  encouraged  the  direct  teaching  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion.  He  never  was  present  at  the  preach- 
ing services,  although  the  queen  and  some  of  his  sis- 
ters frequently  were.  He  never  in  any  ofRcial  way 
showed  that  he  recognized  the  right  of  the  people 
to  become  Christians.  His  great  wisdom  was  al- 
together worldly.    He  rejoiced  that  the  arts  and 


PROVIDENTIAL  PREPARATION.  57 


trades  that  made  civilized  nations  so  powerful  were 
being  introduced  into  Madagascar.  He  was  am- 
bitious to  have  his  countrymen  educated,  indus- 
trious and  prosperous.  He  despised  the  witchcraft, 
priestcraft  and  superstition  under  which  they 
were  crushed. 

But  he  had  no  experience  of  the  spiritual  nature 
of  true  religion.  He  had  no  idea  of  faith  in  Christ 
as  a  ruling  and  guiding  principle  of  his  life.  Had 
he  taken  an  open  stand  as  a  Christian  man  and 
ruler  and  put  his  trust  in  God,  he  might  have 
successfully  resisted  the  opposition  of  the  priests, 
and  overcome  the  prejudices  of  the  people,  and 
made  Christianity  the  religion  of  the  kingdom,  and 
saved  it  the  forty  years  of  heathen  rule  and  bloody 
persecutions  which  followed. 

As  it  was,  not  a  single  profession  of  Christianity 
was  made  in  the  island  while  he  reigned.  The 
people  were  in  a  partially-awakened  state,  and  con- 
fusion and  uncertainty  prevailed.  Perhaps  he 
thought  he  was  too  young  yet  to  take  a  decided 
stand,  being  scarcely  more  than  a  boy  when  he 
came  to  the  throne.  He  may  have  thought  that  he 
had  many  years  yet  to  live, when  God  called  him  to 
his  account.  He  died  on  the  17th  of  Juno,  1828,  at 
tlie  age  of  thirty-six,  having  ruled  for  twenty  years. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

REIGN  OF  RANAVALONA.—  THE  BEGINNING  OF 
PERSECUTION. 

HE  evil  consequences  of  Eadama's  uncer- 
tainty were  now  evident.  The  officers  of 
the  court  were  confounded  by  his  death, 
and  for  days  afterward  kept  the  bands  play- 
ing in  the  courtyard,  and  announced  every  morn- 
ing that  he  was  better.  At  length  a  young  officer 
told  one  of  Radama's  wives,  Ranavalona,  what  had 
happened.  This  wicked  woman  seized  upon  the 
throne,  murdered  all  others  having  any  right  to  it 
on  whom  she  could  lay  her  hands,  claimed  to  have 
received  the  kingdom  by  express  appointment  of 
the  heathen  gods,  and  became  the  Bloody  Mary  of 
Madagascar. 

Among  the  cruel  and  bloody  rulers  of  the  world, 
the  queen  of  Madagascar  has  won  never-dying  in- 
famy. Every  day  seemed  lost  to  her  on  which  she 
did  not  consign  half  a  dozen  of  her  subjects  to 

58 


REIGN  OF  BANAVALONA.  59 


death.  Executions  and  massacres  were  often  con- 
ducted on  a  vast  scale.  From  twenty  to  thirty 
thousand  persons  fell  victims  every  year  to  her 
bloody  rule.  Thousands  perished  from  the  ex- 
cessive tasks  imposed  on  them  in  dragging  timber 
and  in  constructing  her  palace.  Tens  of  thousands 
of  persons  were  compelled  to  accompany  her  upon 
long  expeditions  for  hunting  or  pleasure  as  sol- 
diers, bearers,  road-makers,  or  simply  to  give  dig- 
nity to  the  royal  movements.  And  as  she  made 
provision  only  for  her  own  support  on  the  journey, 
famine  would  soon  make  its  appearance  among  the 
mass  of  her  attendants.  The  whole  country  through 
which  they  passed  would  be  stripped  of  provisions. 
Even  the  nobles  in  attendance  sulfered  from  want, 
and  on  one  such  occasion  it  is  said  that  ten  thou- 
sand persons,  including  many  women  and  children, 
perished  from  hunger. 

The  chief  amusement  of  this  queen  was  the  cruel 
spectacle  of  a  bull-fight,  which  was  frequently  pro- 
vided for  her  in  the  courtyard  of  her  own  palace. 
She  had  her  favorites  among  the  beasts,  and  used  to 
inquire  anxiously  after  their  health  every  day.  The 
only  time  she  was  ever  known  to  weep  was  not 
when  her  husband,  her  father  and  mother  or  her 
children  died,  but  when  her  favorite  bull  was 


60         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

killed.  Then  she  wept  much  and  bitterly,  and 
it  was  long  l^efore  she  would  take  comfort.  She 
had  the  creature  buried  with  all  possible  honors. 
The  chief  men  of  the  kingdom  were  commissioned 
to  lay  it  in  the  grave,  and  they  were  so  proud  of 
the  honor  that  they  boasted  of  it  long  afterward. 
Two  great  stones  were  placed  upon  the  grave  as  a 
monument,  and  the  queen  cherished  his  memory  as 
that  of  a  dear  friend.  Thus  even  the  tender  mercies 
of  the  wicked  are  cruel. 

Meanwhile,  the  population  of  the  island  was  de- 
clining so  rapidly  that  if  her  reign  had  been  pro- 
tracted Madagascar  would  have  been  a  wilderness. 
It  was  calculated  that  half  the  people  were  swept 
away  through  her  sanguinary  policy,  and  a  great 
number  of  villages  had  disappeared  from  the  face 
of  the  land.  It  might  well  be  expected  that  her 
Christian  subjects  would  be  the  special  objects  of 
such  a  ruler's  evil  passions.  If  the  Church  of 
Christ  in  Madagascar  was  appointed  to  undergo  a 
fierce  and  fiery  trial,  here  was  the  instrument  for  the 
work.  The  reign  of  Queen  Ranavalona  was  Satan's 
opportunity.  And  well  did  he  use  it.  Like  a 
roaring  lion  he  went  about  seeking  whom  he  might 
devour.  And  yet,  just  in  proportion  as  he  raged 
and  as  persecution  and  opposition  increased,  the 


ItEIGK  OF  RANAVALONA. 


61 


numbers  of  Christians  multiplied  and  the  evidences 
of  the  divine  excellence  and  power  of  the  truth 
were  clearer  and  more  convincing.  Opposition 
seemed  to  foster  rather  than  repress  Christianity. 

Among  her  first  acts  was  to  forbid  the  preaching 
of  the  word,  to  draft  the  teachers  and  scholars  in 
the  mission  schools  into  the  army  and  to  break  up 
the  treaty  with  Great  Britain.  At  her  coronation, 
June  12,  1829,  she  took  two  of  the  national  idols 
in  her  hands,  saying :  "  I  received  you  from  my 
ancestors.  I  put  my  trust  in  you,  therefore  sup- 
port me.'^  The  idols  were  then  covered  with  gold- 
embroidered  scarlet  cloth,  and  held  at  the  front 
corners  of  the  platform  to  inspire  the  superstitious 
multitude  with  awe  while  the  coronation  was  in 
progress. 

When  the  French  sent  an  expedition  against  the 
island,  the  frightened  queen  turned  to  the  idols  for 
help.  Public  acts  of  worship  were  paid  to  them  and 
great  eiforts  were  made  to  revive  the  power  of  su- 
perstition among  the  people.  The  queen  went  in  per- 
son to  one  of  the  sacred  cities,  and  offered  a  large 
number  of  jewels  and  other  valuables  to  one  of  the 
idols.  A  number  of  officers  of  the  government 
were  required  to  drink  the  poison  at  the  capital, 
and  a  general  purification  of  the  country  was  or- 


62  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR 


dered,  in  which  many  hundreds  of  innocent  persons 
were  cruelly  sacrificed. 

At  the  same  time  the  wicked  queen  was  shrewd 
enough  to  see  the  immense  value  of  the  civilization 
introduced  by  the  missionaries.  So  she  gave  them 
express  permission  to  preach  and  teach,  and  to 
make  conv^erts  among  the  natives,  and  even  to 
admit  them  to  the  visible  Church.  Perhaps  she 
doubted  the  power  of  the  idols,  and  wished  to  make 
sure  of  help  from  one  quarter  if  the  other  failed. 
At  all  events,  the  work  of  evangelization  was  vig- 
orously and  boldly  carried  forward.  In  1830  the 
missionaries  were  able  to  issue  the  native  New  Tes- 
tament, besides  many  other  native  books,  from  the 
press.  And  in  1831,  on  the  29th  of  May,  twenty 
converts  were  baptized  and  admitted  to  Christian 
privileges.  One  of  them  had  been  celebrated  as  a 
diviner  or  heathen  prophet,  and  had  become  rich 
by  deluding  the  people.  Influenced  by  a  Christian 
friend,  he  had  examined  the  Scriptures ;  and  deeply 
impressed  with  their  truth,  he  destroyed  or  gave  to 
the  missionaries  all  his  instruments  of  divination, 
and  took  his  place  among  the  learners  of  the  alpha- 
f  bet.    He  was  baptized  "  Paul.'' 

These  baptisms  gave  a  great  impetus  to  the  work 
as  well  as  roused  some  opposition.    In  a  few 


REIQN  OF  RANAVALONA.  63 


months  word  came  that  no  one  in  the  army  and 
no  one  in  the  government  schools  should  be  suf- 
fered to  be  baptized. 

In  1832  all  natives  were  forbidden  to  join  in 
the  communion  services  of  the  church,  and  three 
Christians  were  compelled  to  drink  the  tangena, 
all  of  whom  escaped.  As  the  Christians  in- 
creased in  numbers,  as  they  refused  to  observe  hea- 
then holidays  or  to  join  in  public  homage  to  the 
idols,  the  fears  and  hatred  of  the  queen  and  of  her 
counselors  increased.  They  were  charged  with 
disloyalty  to  the  government,  and  with  the  pur- 
pose to  transfer  the  island  to  the  English.  The 
queen  swore  she  would  put  a  stop  to  these  things 
by  extreme  measures.  Profound  silence  was  en- 
forced throughout  the  palace.  The  music  ceased, 
all  amusements  were  suspended,  some  great  calam- 
ity seemed  to  have  befallen  the  court  and  wide- 
spread alarm  agitated  the  country.  A  general 
gathering  of  the  people  was  ordered  for  the  first 
day  of  March,  1834.  Meanwhile,  a  list  of  the 
names  of  Christians  and  of  the  places  in  which 
they  met  was  made  out  and  handed  to  the  queen, 
who  was  astonished  at  their  number  and  enraged 
that  any  one  should  accommodate  them. 

Meanwhile,  the  Christians  continued  to  preach 


64  THE  STOBY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

and  to  worship  with  their  usual  publicity.  The 
text  of  one  of  the  native  preachers  about  this  time 
has  been  preserved.  It  was  very  appropriate: 
"Save,  Lord,  we  perish.''  The  missionaries  sent  a 
respectful  communication  to  the  queen  in  behalf 
of  the  religion  they  taught  and  of  the  people  who 
had  embraced  it.  Some  of  the  native  chiefs  and 
counselors  of  the  queen  represented  to  her  the 
great  advantage  of  the  missionaries'  teaching, 
and  tried  to  dissuade  her  from  persecuting  meas- 
ures. 

It  was  of  no  avail.  The  first  of  March  came. 
Guns  were  fired  with  the  dawn  of  the  day.  Fif- 
teen thousand  troops  were  drawn  up  on  the  plain 
of  Imahamasina,  and  along  the  approaches  to  it, 
where  it  is  believed  a  hundred  thousand  persons 
were  gathered  in  obedience  to  the  royal  summons. 
Amid  the  noise  of  muskets  and  artillery  the  peo- 
ple waited  in  anxiety  and  alarm  for  the  message 
which  they  had  been  summoned  to  hear. 

At  length  the  chief  judge  appeared  with  the 
royal  proclamation.  It  was  a  declaration  of  war 
against  Christianity  and  of  adherence  to  the  old 
idolatry  on  the  part  of  the  government.  All  who 
refused  to  worship  the  national  gods  were  to  be 
reckoned  as  criminals.    Baptism,  societies,  places 


BEIGN  OF  BANAVALONA. 


65 


of  worship  and  observance  of  the  Sabbath  were 
declared  unlawful  and  forbidden.  One  month  was 
given  to  all  who  had  been  baptized,  who  had  joined 
the  church,  or  had  attended  worship,  or  who  had 
allowed  their  slaves  to  attend  school  or  to  come 
under  Christian  influences,  to  come  forward  and 
accuse  themselves  of  these  offences.  If  they  did 
not  appear  within  that  time,  sentence  of  death 
would  be  pronounced  against  them.  What  would 
be  done  with  them  if  they  did  make  confession 
was  not  explained.  Doubtless  the  queen  was  with- 
out any  definite  plans,  and  her  proceedings  were  in- 
tended as  an  experiment  the  result  of  which  might 
guide  her  in  her  subsequent  course. 

After  the  proclamation  had  been  made  by  the 
judge  two  chiefs  came  forward  with  an  apology 
for  what  had  been  done,  offering  by  way  of  cere- 
mony an  ox  and  a  dollar,  and  promising  that  the 
offence  should  not  be  repeated  in  the  future.  It 
does  not  appear  that  these  chiefs  were  authorized 
by  the  Christians  to  speak  for  them.  The  proba- 
bility is  that  they  were  heathen  who,  like  many 
others  of  the  people,  saw  the  great  benefits  to  be 
derived  from  the  spread  of  Christianity  through  the 
land,  and  who  simply  wished  in  any  way  possible 
to  check  the  persecuting  designs  of  the  queen.  As 

5 


66  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


for  the  native  Christians,  there  could  not  have  been 
the  slightest  intention  on  their  part  to  abandon 
their  faith,  whatever  the  queen  might  conclude 
to  do. 

The  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  now  came 
forward  and  promised  to  support  the  government 
in  the  severest  measures  against  the  Christians  who 
should  prove  obstinate.  The  judges  agreed  to 
convey  the  proposal  of  the  two  chiefs  to  the  queen, 
and  the  multitude  retired  for  the  day. 

Summoned  together  the  next  morning  by  the 
firing  of  cannon,  they  were  astonished  to  learn  not 
only  that  Ranavalona  refused  the  petition  of  the 
chiefs,  but  that  instead  of  a  month,  as  before  an- 
nounced, only  a  week  would  be  given  to  the  Chris- 
tians to  come  forward  and  confess  their  offences. 
Those  who  did  not  come  within  that  period  must 
die.  At  the  same  time  a  special  message  was  sent 
to  the  missionaries  forbidding  them  to  give  any 
more  religious  instruction,  although  they  w^ere  al- 
lowed to  teach  secular  branches,  as  heretofore. 

The  general  excitement  and  alarm  which  at- 
tended these  announcements  revealed  in  a  surpris- 
ing manner  the  degree  in  which  the  teachings  of 
the  missionaries  had  been  blessed  in  spreading  the 
gospel  among  the  people.    Few  families  in  and 


REION  OF  RANAVALONA.  67 

• 

around  the  capital  were  not  involved  in  some  of 
their  members.  The  idol  worshipers,  and  especially 
the  priests,  were  active  and  exultant.  It  was  a  fear- 
ful week.  Some  fell  away  from  their  former  Chris- 
tian associates,  and  plunged  into  the  vices  of  hea- 
thenism again.  But  the  great  body  of  the  disciples 
were  firm ;  they  sought  divine  aid  in  prayer,  and 
they  went  forward  in  the  plain  path  of  duty.  They 
came  before  the  judges,  and  without  faltering  con- 
fessed their  faith  in  Christ,  at  the  same  time  pro- 
testing their  loyalty  to  the  government.  The  pros- 
perity of  the  queen  was  one  of  the  objects  of  their 
prayers. 

One  of  these  confessors  was  asked  by  the  judges 
how  often  he  prayed.  He  answered  that  he  could 
not  tell.  For  the  last  three  or  four  years  he  had 
passed  no  day  without  several  seasons  of  prayer. 
Being  asked  further  how  he  prayed,  he  said  that 
he  confessed  his  sins,  asked  forgiveness  and  sought 
divine  help  to  live  without  sin  and  be  prepared  for 
eternal  happiness.  This  good  man  was  heard  with 
attention  and  respect  while  he  spoke  fully  to  the 
judges  of  the  holy  Jesus  who  had  died  for  sinners. 

The  nights  were  spent  in  prayer  by  the  Chris- 
tians. At  one  of  these  meetings,  near  the  midnight 
hour,  an  officer  of  high  rank  presented  himself  and 


68  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

* 

was  welcomed  in  the  praying  circle.  The  unjust 
accusations  against  the  Christians  had  decided  him 
to  join  the  injured  party,  and  very  soon  he  resolved 
that  the  Christians'  God  should  be  his  God.  At 
the  time  he  refused  to  accuse  himself,  he  did  not 
see  any  wrong  requiring  confession  in  attending 
the  meetings.  But  afterward  he  suffered  for  the 
faith,  having  proved  himself  a  true  follower  of 
Jesus  and  a  friend  to  his  fellow-believers. 

When  the  week  had  passed,  and  the  people  again 
assembled  according  to  the  royal  summons,  they 
found  the  temper  of  the  queen  less  sanguinary  than 
they  had  expected.  She  contented  herself  with 
reducing  four  hundred  officers  in  rank  and  fining 
two  thousand  others.  No  lives  were  taken  and 
none  were  sold  into  slavery  at  this  time.  The  pur- 
pose of  the  government  to  maintain  the  old  forms 
of  worship  and  utterly  to  crush  out  Christianity 
was  reiterated,  and  the  people  were  assured  that 
only  their  lives  would  be  sufficient  for  the  next 
offence. 

A  week  afterward,  an  order  was  issued  requiring 
all  books  to  be  delivered  up  to  the  queen ;  no  one 
should  keep  back  so  much  as  a  leaf.  As  there  were 
no  other  books  in  the  island  but  such  as  the  mission- 
aries had  printed  and  circulated,  the  order  was  de- 


REIGN  OF  RANAVALONA. 


69 


signed  to  put  a  stop  to  the  circulation  and  reading 
of  the  Bible.  Few  obeyed  it  literally,  and  in  the 
distant  provinces  it  was  obeyed  scarcely  at  all,  so 
highly  was  the  word  of  God  prized  by  the  perse- 
cuted believers  of  Madagascar.  To  procure  a  copy 
of  the  Scriptures  some  walked  sixty  miles,  some  a 
hundred. 


CHAPTER  V. 

PREVALENCE  OF  THE  TRVTH  IN  MADAGASCAR. 

HE  deep  hold  which  the  gospel  had  already 
gained  in  the  minds  of  this  remarkable  peo- 
ple was  now  manifested  in  many  ways.  The 
fact  that  the  queen  found  no  less  than 
twenty-four  hundred  of  her  own  officers  among 
those  judged  worthy  of  punishment  was  significant. 
The  Christian  soldiers  were  known  and  distin- 
guished as  such  in  the  army.  At  one  time  the 
army  was  advancing  upon  the  enemy  in  three 
divisions,  the  national  idol  being  borne  in  the 
central  and  largest  division.  The  Christians  had 
been  excused  from  rendering  homage  to  the  idol, 
and  were  assigned  to  one  of  the  other  divisions, 
the  general  telling  them  that  the  idol  would  have 
bis  revenge  upon  them.  In  the  battle  the  Chris- 
tians were  placed  in  the  most  exposed  position. 
But  the  central  division  was  routed  with  great  loss 

70 


THE  TRUTH  IN  MADAGASCAR.  71 


and  humiliation,  while  the  two  other  divisions  were 
victorious  and  took  considerable  spoil. 

These  Christian  soldiers  had  an  honorable  repu- 
tation. Their  bravery  was  unquestioned.  They 
were  merciful  to  the  vanquished,  they  were  honest 
and  pure  in  their  actions.  They  held  meetings  for 
worship  in  each  others'  tents  on  Sunday  and  on 
other  days.  Many  of  their  heathen  companions 
were  converted  as  a  result  of  their  example  and 
labors. 

The  mission  schools  were  very  successful.  When 
the  persecution  broke  out,  it  is  supposed  that  there 
were  thirty  thousand  natives  who  could  read  trans- 
lations of  portions  of  the  Scriptures,  and  tracts 
had  been  widely  distributed.  The  missionaries 
did  not  of  choice  devote  themselves  so  largely  to 
teaching ;  they  were  constrained  to  do  so  by  the  re- 
strictions laid  upon  their  preaching,  but  the  finger 
of  God  was  in  it.  The  people  were  thus  so  well 
instructed  and  supplied  with  Christian  literature 
tliat  they  were  prepared  to  stand  alone. 

The  labors  of  the  missionaries  had  extended  to  the 
neighboring  villages.  Many  cast  away  their  charms 
and  burned  their  idols  or  brought  them  to  the  mis- 
sionaries. Two  large  congregations  met  regularly 
for  worship  in  the  capital.    Nearly  two  hundred 


72  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


persons  had  applied  for  membership  in  the  chur(,h. 
A  spirit  of  inquiry  was  awakened.  Prayer-meet- 
ings were  commenced  and  conducted  by  the  natives 
in  their  own  homes.  Places  sixty  and  a  hundred 
miles  from  the  capital  shared  in  the  growing  re- 
ligious excitement  and  in  the  demand  for  Chris- 
tian books,  especially  Bibles. 

A  false  prophet  arose  about  this  time.  A  priest 
of  one  of  the  government  idols,  imperfectly  in- 
structed in  Christianity,  proclaimed  himself  a  con- 
vert, but  declared  that  God  taught  him  the  truth 
independently  of  Scripture.  In  about  two  years 
this  deluded  man  had  drawn  after  him  about  two 
hundred  followers.  They  sought  an  interview  with 
the  queen,  told  her  that  she  would  be  sovereign  of 
the  whole  world,  that  the  dead  would  arise  and  the 
living  would  never  die,  that  all  evils,  wars,  trial 
by  tangena,  etc.  would  cease,  and  all  men  would 
live  happily.  They  offered  to  forfeit  their  heads 
if  all  this  was  not  true. 

The  queen,  offended  at  their  doctrine  of  the  com- 
mon parentage  of  all  men,  ordered  the  leader  and 
three  of  his  principal  followers  to  be  put  to  death, 
which  was  done  in  the  most  cruel  manner.  The 
rest  'were  condemned  to  the  trial  by  tangena  or 
sold  into  slavery,  and  their  property  was  seized 


THE  TRUTH  IN  MADAGASCAR.  73 


and  divided  between  the  queen  and  the  nobles,  to 
the  amount  of  several  thousand  dollars.  As  coun- 
terfeit money  only  appears  where  there  is  a  consid- 
erable circulation  of  that  which  is  genuine,  so  the 
rise  and  spread  of  such  a  delusion  proves  that  true 
Christianity  was  widely  known  and  received  among 
the  people. 

That  it  was  true  Christianity,  really  received  in 
the  heart  and  practiced  in  the  life,  appears  from  the 
testimony  of  the  heathen  judges  themselves,  who  j 
told  their  accusers  that  no  charge  could  be  sus- 
tained against  the  Christians  of  any  offences  other 
than  those  against  the  idols.  It  was  the  teachino- 
of  the  duty  of  faith  in  Christ  and  of  following  his 
example  that  seemed  most  to  offend  the  queen,  who, 
in  her  ignorance  and  jealousy,  was  led  to  believe 
that  a  foreign  ruler  was  meant  by  Jesus ;  and  the 
most  plausible  ground  of  accusation  she  had  against 
the  Christians  was,  that  they  intended  to  overthrow 
her  government  and  betray  the  country  to  some 
foreign  power. 

Her  fear  of  foreign  interference  was  very  great. 
She  frequently  held  councils  with  her  advisers  upon 
the  best  means  of  keeping  the  hated  Europeans 
away  from  her  borders.  Some  of  the  plans  pro- 
posed were  very  laughable.    One  counselor  ad-  x 


74  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

vised  the  building  of  a  high  wall  in  the  sea  all 
around  the  island.  Another  proposed  a  machine 
with  a  great  iron  plate,  against  which  the  cannon- 
balls  fired  from  hostile  ships  might  rebound,  strik- 
ing and  sinking  the  ships  from  which  they  had 
been  fired.  Still  a  third  plan  was  to  have  four 
pairs  of  gigantic  shears  manufactured  and  planted 
on  the  roads  leading  from  the  various  harbors  to 
the  capital.  Whenever  an  unfortunate  European 
came  along,  the  shears  were  to  be  clapped  together 
and  the  daring  intruder  cut  in  two. 

The  missionaries,  compelled  to  cease  all  public 
eflPorts  for  the  conversion  of  the  natives,  labored 
the  more  diligently  in  private  methods,  consoling 
and  advising  the  Christians,  and  especially  in  en- 
larging the  stock  of  books  in  the  native  language. 
The  Old  Testament  was  published  complete,  and  the 
Pilgrim's  Progress  was  translated,  and  six  copies 
in  manuscript  were  distributed  among  the  con- 
verts. Having  completed  these  works,  and  finding 
it  impossible  to  carry  on  their  labors,  the  govern- 
ment having  warned  them  to  leave,  the  last  mis- 
sionaries sorrowfully  parted  from  their  Christian 
brethren,  and  set  out  for  the  coast  in  July,  1836. 

From  this  time  forward,  for  twenty  years,  the 
Christians  of  Madagascar  remained  cut  off  from 


THE  TRUTH  IN  MADAGASCAR.  75 


all  knowledge  of  or  intercourse  with  their  fellow- 
believers  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  and  for  five 
years  longer,  or  while  the  reign  of  this  cruel  queen 
continued,  they  were  subject  to  persecuting  hate 
and  violence,  and  their  religion  w^as  outlawed. 
The  quarter-of-a-century  conflict  of  the  powers  of 
darkness  with  the  Church  in  Madagascar  now  be- 
gan, with  what  success  the  following  pages  will 
show. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


FOUR  ERAS  OF  PERSECUTION.^FIRST  ERA,  1835-40. 

HE  persecutions  now  directed  against  the 
Christians  may  be  divided  into  four  periods, 
stretching  through  the  twenty-five  years 
from  1835  to  1860.  The  first  began  in 
1835,  about  the  time  the  missionaries  were  forbid- 
den to  teach  or  preach  Christianity  in  any  form, 
and  death  was  threatened  to  any  native  who  should 
read  the  Bible,  pray  to  God,  receive  baptism  or 
join  the  Christian  Church.  This  persecution  lasted 
about  four  years,  its  violence  being  felt  by  but  a 
very  few  in  person,  although  the  whole  country 
suffered  under  the  restrictive  and  oppressive  course 
of  the  government  toward  the  Christians.  In  1840 
the  flame  of  persecuting  rage  burst  out  with  fresh 
fierceness,  lasting  some  seven  years.  After  two 
years  of  comparative  rest  and  quiet,  in  1849  the 
third  assault  of  the  enemy  was  made,  this  time 


PERSECUTION. 


77 


with  more  bloodthirsty  violence  than  ever.  It 
lasted,  however,  but  three  years,  and  then  came  an 
interval  in  which  the  London  Missionary  Society 
sent  out  a  deputation  to  inquire  into  the  condition  of 
the  Christians,  which  brought  home  much  valuable 
information,  and  greatly  affected  and  interested  the 
Christian  public  by  their  story.  The  fourth  and 
last  persecution  broke  out  in  1859,  at  a  time  when 
one  of  the  delegates  of  the  London  Society,  Eev. 
William  Ellis,  was  paying  a  second  visit.  Madame 
Ida  Pfeiffer,  the  famous  lady-traveler  of  Germany, 
was  then  visiting  the  island  upon  the  last  of  her 
enterprising  and  hazardous  voyages,  and  she  gives 
us  the  impressions  of  an  eye-witness  of  scenes  of 
cruelty  from  which  she  herself  was  glad  to  escape 
with  her  life. 

In  1861  persecution  ceased  and  liberty  of  wor- 
ship and  teaching  was  restored,  and  from  that 
time  the  work  of  spreading  the  gospel  of  Christ 
has  gone  forward  without  hindrance  from  the  gov- 
ernment. 

The  first  persecution  in  Madagascar  began  in 
earnest  in  the  year  1835.  In  that  year  the  mis- 
sionaries began  to  leave  the  island,  and  in  1836  the 
last  had  departed.  The  names  of  these  founders 
of  thp  Madagascar  Church  were  Messrs.  Freeman, 


78  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


Cameron,  Check  and  Kitching,  who  left  the  capital 
in  June,  1835,  and  Messrs.  Johns  and  Baker,  who 
remained  until  July  of  the  next  year. 

The  Christians,  now  left  without  their  well- 
known  guides  and  teachers,  were  compelled  to  de- 
pend on  themselves.  They  could  only  recognize 
each  other  by  stealth.  Familiar  as  many  were 
with  the  word  of  God,  they  chose  its  language  as 
a  kind  of  password.  When  a  Christian  wished  to 
know  whether  it  was  a  fellow-Christian  to  whom 
he  was  speaking,  he  would  ask  in  the  language  of 
Jeremiah  (xxxviii.  15) :  "  If  I  declare  it  unto  thee, 
wilt  thou  not  surely  put  me  to  death  The  re- 
ply, if  from  a  Christian,  would  be  the  next  verse : 
"  As  the  Lord  liveth,  that  made  us  this  soul,  I  will 
not  put  thee  to  death,  neither  will  I  give  thee  into 
the  hand  of  these  men  that  seek  thy  life." 

They  would  meet  secretly  in  each  other's  houses, 
or  would  hold  their  worship  like  hunted  wild 
beasts  on  the  lonely  mountain-tops,  keeping  watch 
on  any  suspicious  movements  in  the  regions  be- 
neath them.  Here  they  sang  their  songs  and  read 
their  precious  books,  which  had  been  proscribed  by 
the  queen,  without  fear  of  disturbance.  The  wild 
and  exceedingly  rocky  nature  of  much  of  the  coun- 
try furnished  them  with  many  such  places  of  secure 


FOUR  ERAS  OF  PERSECUTION. 


79 


retreat.  Like  David,  they  could  say,  The  strength 
of  the  hills  is  his  also. 

Woman  has  played  a  leading  part  in  the  history 
of  Madagascar,  and  of  the  planting  and  persecut- 
ing of  Christianity  there.  It  was  a  fierce  and  un- 
womanly woman  that  at  this  time  was  using  her 
power  as  queen  to  overthrow  the  truth.  It  is  a 
noble  Christian  woman  on  the  same  throne  who  is 
now  by  her  life  and  public  acts  establishing  and 
extending  Christianity  through  the  country.  And 
perhaps  the  brightest  and  most  conspicuous  of 
all  the  sufferers  for  the  truth  on  the  island  were 
women. 

Rafaravavy  was  a  woman  of  high  family,  whose 
husband  held  an  important  position  in  the  native 
army.  She  was  among  the  early  fruits  of  the  mis- 
sionaries' labor;  and  having  become  a  sincere  be- 
liever before  the  government  declared  against 
Christianity,  she  had  given  early  and  ample  evi- 
dence of  her  sincerity,  having  procured  one  of 
the  largest  houses  in  the  capital  and  opened  it  for 
Christian  worship.  The  simplicity  of  her  charac- 
ter and  her  earnestness  brought  many  to  attend  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel. 

Even  after  the  public  and  severe  declarations  of 


80  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


the  government,  this  faithful  woman  continued 
to  hold  Sunday  evening  meetings  in  her  house  for 
prayer,  which  were  attended  by  a  few  female 
friends.  On  the  first  of  June  she  was  betrayed  by 
three  of  her  slaves.  A  Christian  who  heard  the 
accusation  warned  her  of  what  was  coming,  so  that 
she  had  time  to  hide  her  Bible  before  the  officers 
came.  Her  father,  enraged  at  the  conduct  of  the 
slaves,  put  them  in  irons,  but  the  woman  proved 
how  her  heathen  nature  had  been  transformed  into 
the  spirit  of  her  Master  by  freeing  the  offenders, 
sending  for  them,  forgiving  them,  and  by  preach- 
ing Jesus  to  them  so  effectually  that  two  of  them 
became  Christians,  one  of  whom  afterward  died  for 
her  faith. 

The  judge  visited  Rafkravavy,  and  demanded 
the  names  of  those  who  met  with  her  in  worship. 
On  her  refusing  to  give  them  he  reported  her  case 
to  the  queen,  who  was  greatly  incensed  and  broke 
out  with  the  exclamation,  Is  it  possible  that  any 
one  is  so  daring  as  to  defy  me,  and  that  one  a  wo- 
man, too?  Go  put  her  to  death  at  once.''  But 
the  intercession  of  high  officers,  which  often  comes 
in,  in  fact,  during  the  persecutions,  procured  an 
abatement  of  the  queen's  rage,  and  sentence  was 
deferred. 


FOUR  ERAS'  OF  PERSECUTION.  81 


Expectiag  soon  to  be  put  to  a  cruel  death,  this 
brave  woman  did  not  cease  to  show  her  interest  in 
the  Master's  cause.  One  of  the  missionaries,  Mr. 
Johns,  was  just  about  leaving,  and  at  three  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  his  departure  she  called  to  bid 
him  farewell.  It  was  an  affecting  scene.  Mrs. 
Johns  says :  "  I  shall  never  forget  the  serenity  and 
composure  she  displayed  while  she  related  to  me 
the  consolation  she  enjoyed  in  pleading  the  prom- 
ises and  in  drawing  near  to  God  in  prayer." 

On  the  very  same  day,  contrary  to  her  own  and 
her  friends'  expectations,  the  queen  sent  word  that 
she  would  spare  her  life,  but  fined  her  to  the 
amount  of  half  her  property,  assuring  her  that  if 
again  guilty  nothing  could  save  her  life.  From 
this  time,  being  narrowly  watched,  she  sold  her 
great  house  and  bought  a  small  one  in  the  suburbs 
of  the  city,  to  which  she  removed.  There  a  small 
company  of  believers  occasionally  met  for  prayer, 
some  coming  from  Vonizongo,  many  miles  distant. 
Sometimes,  for  greater  security,  they  would  travel 
twenty  miles  to  some  mountain-side  or  top,  their 
joyful  ardor  taking  away  all  sense  of  weariness 
while  they  joined  in  prayer  and  praise  to  God. 

A  year  passed  by.  The  number  of  persor 
known  to  each  other  as  Christians  rapidly  in- 

6 


S2  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

creased.  Mr.  Johns,  one  of  the  last  missionaries 
to  leave,  had  gone  no  farther  than  the  neighboring 
island  of  Mauritius,  from  which  he  wrote  to  the 
Christians  at  the  capital,  stating  his  intention  to 
visit  the  coast  of  Madagascar.  Several  of  the 
Christians  were  deputed  to  meet  him  at  Tamatave, 
a  port  on  the  east  coast.  They  carried  with  them 
several  letters,  and  among  others  a  joint  letter  from 
the  whole  band,  in  which  such  remarkable  language 
as  the  following  is  used. 

"  It  is  thought,"  they  write,  "  that  we  shall  cer- 
tainly forget  the  word  of  God,  now  that  we  have 
no  teachers.  The  queen  does  not  know  that  the 
best  teacher  of  all,  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  still  with  us. 
We  will  go  forward  in  the  strength  of  tlie  Lord. 
If  we  confess  him,  he  will  also  confess  us  when 
he  shall  come  in  the  clouds  to  judge  the  world. 
Besides  meeting  on  the  mountains,  we  have  three 
services  in  the  capital  during  the  week.  Our  meet- 
ings are  large,  through  the  diligence  of  the  disci- 
ples in  conversation  in  season  and  out  of  season. 
All  the  Christians  here  are  teaching  others  to  read. 
There  are  ten  with  one  friend,  six  with  another, 
four  with  another,  and  so  the  number  is  quietly 
increasing.  How  much  does  the  compassion  of 
the  Saviour  console  us  now !    We  are  filled  with 


FOUR  ERAS  OF  PERSECUTION.  83 


wonder  at  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  word 
is  indeed  true  that  says,  ^  I  will  send  you  the  Com- 
forter. It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away/ 
Precious  to  us  now  is  Jesus.  He  is  our  rock,  our 
shield,  our  hope,  our  life." 

Another  of  these  letters  spoke  of  a  Christian 
soldier  who  had  fallen  in  a  recent  expedition. 
When  asked  if  he  had  any  fear,  in  the  language 
of  an  advanced  and  intelligent  believer  he  an- 
swered, "  Why  should  I  fear  to  die  when  Jesus  is 
my  friend  ?  He  hath  loved  me  with  an  everlasting 
love,  and  I  love  him  because  he  first  loved  me.  I 
am  persuaded  he  will  not  leave  me  now,  and  I  am 
full  of  joy  at  the  thought  of  leaving  this  sinful 
world  to  be  for  ever  with  my  Saviour." 

The  refined  Christian  sensibilities  of  these  con- 
verts, carried  with  them  into  the  barbarous  scenes 
of  heathen  warfare,  are  truly  marvelous.  It  was 
reported  of  this  soldier  that  he  was  never  heard  to 
mention  the  name  of  the  Saviour  without  tears. 
When  questioned  about  it,  he  replied:  "How  can 
I  do  otherwise  than  feel,  when  I  mention  the  name 
of  that  beloved  Saviour  who  suffered  and  died  on 
the  cross  for  me?"  What  a  rebuke  to  the  cold- 
heartedness  of  the  mass  of  believers  in  Christian 
lands ! 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  FIRST  MARTYR.— DEATH  IN  MADAGASCAR. 

HE  bearers  of  these  letters  left  Rafaravavy 
and  their  other  friends  generally  in  peace 
and  safety.  Before  their  return  new  ca- 
lamities befell  them.  Two  women,  one  of 
them  related  to  the  Christians,  accused  ten  of  the 
latter  to  the  authorities  as  accustomed  to  meet 
every  Sunday  for  prayer  in  Rafaravavy's  house. 
It  was  the  hope  of  getting  a  share  of  their  property 
that  led  these  women  to  make  the  accusation.  One 
of  the  ten  was  at  Tamatave,  on  the  sea-coast,  in 
conference  with  the  missionary,  Mr.  Johns.  An- 
other had  a  very  long  hard  name,  and  he  escaped 
because  the  accusers  did  not  know  it.  Their  ig- 
norance is  not  wonderful  when  we  learn  that  the 
name  was  Rafaralahiandrianisa.  The  remaining 
eight  were  immediately  arrested  and  threatened 
with  death.  Rafaravavy  was  repeatedly  ques- 
tioned by  the  officers,  but  not  put  under  arrest. 

84 


THE  FIRST  MARTYR. 


85 


This  noble  woman,  brave  as  she  was  pious,  boldly 
confronted  the  officers,  admitted  the  fact  of  hold- 
ing social  worship,  but  utterly  refused  to  name  any 
of  her  associates. 

The  officers  plied  their  arts  on  those  who  were 
already  in  prison.  They  falsely  told  one  of  them, 
a  young  woman  named  Rasalama,  that  one  of  her 
fellow-prisoners  had  revealed  the  names  of  all  the 
other  Christians,  and  that  it  would  do  no  good  and 
only  make  her  case  worse  to  refuse  to  tell.  Where- 
upon she  named  seven  others  not  before  accused, 
and  brought  them  into  the  same  sad  plight.  Among 
these  seven  was  one  of  the  most  esteemed  and  be- 
loved of  the  converts,  the  aged  Paul,  who  while  a 
heathen  had  been  distinguished  as  a  conjurer,  but 
who  now  proved  himself  not  more  faithful  than 
judicious  and  impressive  in  his  confession  of  Christ. 
His  answer  to  the  judges,  was  elevated  and  yet 
conciliatory  in  tone.  He  said,  "I  have  certainly 
prayed  to  the  God  who  created  me,  and  has  sup- 
ported me,  and  is  himself  the  source  of  all  good, 
to  make  me  a  good  man.  I  prayed  that  he  would 
bless  the  queen,  and  give  her  true  happiness  in  this 
world  and  in  that  which  is  to  come.  I  asked  him 
to  bless  the  officers  and  judges  and  all  the  people, 
to  make  them  good,  so  that  there  might  be  no  more 


86 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


robbers  and  liars  in  the  country/'  Some  of  the 
officers  were  touched  by  this  discreet  answer.  What 
harm  could  there  be  in  that?  they  asked.  And  one 
of  them  urged,  in  view  of  Paul's  declarations,  "  Let 
us  do  nothing  rashly,  lest  we  advise  the  queen  to 
shed  innocent  blood."  The  chief  officer  replied : 
"  They  pray  to  Jehovah,  to  Jesus,  to  Christ."  An- 
other answered,  "  These  may  with  them  be  but 
different  names  for  one  God,  as  we  have  several 
names  for  god."  But  the  chief  said  :  "  The  queen 
has  forbidden  any  to  pray  to  Jehovah ;  and  having 
despised  her  commandments,  they  are  guilty.'' 

After  fourteen  days  of  suspense  tiie  mob  in  the 
market-place  in  the  capital  were  let  loose  upon 
Rafaravavy,  and  those  especially  who  desired  her 
conviction  for  the  spoils  it  would  bring  them 
quickly  accepted  the  public  permission  to  seize 
her  property.  The  first  she  knew  of  it  was  the 
rush  of  the  rabble  into  her  dwelling,  who  seized 
everything  within  reach,  and  finally  pulled  down 
the  house  itself  and  carried  it  away  piecemeah 
The  mob  was  followed  by  four  of  the  royal  guard 
usually  assigned  to  the  execution  of  criminals,  who 
summoned  her  to  follow  them,  and  led  her  on  the 
very  road  by  which  criminals  proceeded  to  the  place 
of  execution.    She  made  up  her  mind  fully  that 


THE  FIRST  MARTYR. 


87 


her  last  hour  had  come.  She  moved  forward  with- 
out fear  uttering  the  prayer  of  the  martyr  Stephen 
by  the  \^ay.  One  of  the  Christians  drawing  near, 
she  asked  him  to  go  with  her  to  the  end,  so  that  if 
she  was  strengthened  to  bear  a  good  testimony  for 
Jesus,  he  might  report  it  for  the  encouragement  of 
those  who  were  to  follow.  He  answered,  "  I  will  not 
leave  you,  dear  sister.  Cleave  to  Him  oft  whom 
you  have  built  your  hope."  Another  said  :  "  Fear 
not,  beloved  sister.  Though  there  may  be  afflic- 
tion here,  there  is  rest  in  heaven."  Thus  did  these 
new  converts  from  heathen  darkness  encourage 
each  other  in  the  trying  hour.  She  was  put  in 
irons  for  the  night,  the  soldier  saying  to  the  smith 
who  fastened  on  the  fetters,  ^'  Do  not  make  them 
too  fast ;  she  is  to  be  executed  at  cock-crowing  to- 
morrow." 

But  during  the  night  the  town  was  visited  with 
a  conflagration  which,  sweeping  rapidly  through 
the  dry  and  closely  packed  wooden  and  thatched 
houses,  filled  every  one  with  dismay.  In  the  morn- 
ing the  burning  fragments  were  still  flying  through 
the  air  and  falling  in  the  palace  yard.  All  gov- 
ernment work  was  suspended,  and  the  execution  of 
the  condemned  Christians  was  delayed  until  further 
orders.    "God  is  indeed  the  sovereign  of  life," 


88  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR 


said  one  of  the  natives.  Others  very  naturally 
regarded  the  fire  as  a  judgment  from  heaven  on 
account  of  the  persecution ;  it  was  even  thought  to 
have  had  some  effect  upon  the  superstitious  mind 
of  the  queen. 

Finally,  the  queen  gave  sentence  that  all  who 
had  been  seized  should  be  sold  into  perpetual 
slavery.  But  one  of  the  number,  a  woman  named 
Rasalama,  who  had  been  led  by  false  representa- 
tions to  betray  some  of  her  associates,  and  who 
was  deeply  afflicted  at  the  thought  of  the  mischief 
she  had  done,  made  herself  more  obnoxious  than 
the  others  by  her  strong  expressions,  saying  that 
she  was  astonished  that  the  people  of  God,  who 
had  neither  excited  rebellion  nor  stolen  property, 
nor  spoken  ill  of  anybody,  should  be  sold  into 
hopeless  slavery.  She  declared  that  she  was  not 
afraid  when  the  officer  came  to  arrest  her,  but 
rather  rejoiced  that  she  was  counted  worthy  to 
suffer  for  Jesus^  sake;  that  she  had  a  hope  in 
heaven.  She  continued  singing  hymns,  and  was 
put  in  heavy,  cruel  fetters  and  beaten.  She  fore- 
saw what  was  coming.  To  those  who  said  that 
Kafaravavy  and  the  others  would  be  put  to  death, 
she  replied,  "No,  my  life  will  go  for  theirs." 
Early  the  next  morning  she  was  brought  out  for 


THE  FIRST  martyr: 


89 


execution.  As  she  went  along  the  fatal  road  she 
sang  hymns  of  joy ;  and  passing  by  the  chapel,  she 
said,  "  There  I  heard  the  words  of  my  Saviour/' 

The  place  of  execution  was  strewn  with  the 
bones  of  former  criminals,  but  the  prospect  which 
it  afforded  over  the  wide  and  cultivated  plains,  dot- 
ted with  villages  and  ricefields  and  watered  by 
mountain  streams,  was  commanding  and  beautiful. 
Yet  it  was  a  fairer  country  than  all  this  to  which 
the  spirit  of  Rasalama  was  now  preparing  its  flight. 
As  she  calmly  knelt  for  prayer  the  spears  of  the 
executioners  were  thrust  through  her  body,  which 
was  left  to  be  food  for  dogs. 

Some  of  the  bystanders  called  out  as  the  Jews 
did  in  contempt  and  unbelief  when  Jesus  hung  on 
the  cross,  "  Where  now  is  the  God  she  prayed  to, 
that  he  does  not  save  her?"  Others  were  like  the 
centurion  who,  seeing  the  manner  of  Christ's  death, 
said,  "  Certainly  tl)is  was  a  righteous  man."  The 
executioners  repeatedly  declared  that  there  wa» 
some  charm  in  the  religion  of  the  white  people 
which  took  away  the  fear  of  death  which  so  haunts 
the  heathen  mind.  One  faithful  friend,  who  be- 
held her  peaceful  and  happy  end,  exclaimed,  "If  I 
might  die  so  tranquil  and  happy,  I  would  will* 
ingly  die  for  the  Saviour  too." 


90  THE  STORY  OF  MADAOASCAB. 


Thus,  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  August,  1837, 
died  the  first  martyr  from  the  membership  of  the 
Madagascar  church.  Thus  triumphed  divine 
grace  in  the  person  of  one  of  the  daughters 
of  heathenism,  but  a  short  time  acquainted  with 
the  transforming,  exalting  truths  of  the  gospel  for 
which  she  died.  She  has  her  record  on  earth,  not 
only  in  the  affectionate  remembrance  of  Christ's 
followers  all  over  the  world,  but  in  the  beautiful 
memorial  church  which,  thirty-one  years  afterward, 
was  built  on  the  very  spot  where  the  bloody  spears 
and  ravenous  dogs  did  their  work.  But  precious 
as  is  this  remembrance,  infinitely  better  is  her 
record  on  high,  where  her  light  affliction  has  long 
ago  wrought  out  for  her  a  far  more  exceeding  and 
eternal  weight  of  glory. 

On  the  return  of  the  two  brethren  who  had  been 
at  Tamatave,  on  the  coast,  they  were  also  seized, 
their  goods  confiscated,  and  themselves,  wives  and 
children  sold  into  slavery,  with  the  single  privilege 
that  their  friends  might  redeem  their  wives  and 
children.  Paul  became  the  slave  of  the  prime 
minister,  who  made  him  work  in  the  ricefields  all 
day  and  put  him  in  irons  all  night.  Four  other 
Christian  slaves  were  associated  with  him,  to  whom 
he  proved  a  great  source  of  comfort,  often  repeat- 


THE  FIRST  MARTYR. 


91 


ing  from  memory  the  glorious  forty-sixth  Psalm, 
and  leading  their  minds  to  the  divine  and  loving 
Saviour.  Two  hundred  persons  were  enslaved  for 
Jesus'  sake  at  this  time. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

ESCAPE  OF  RAFARA  VA  VY. 

AFARAVAVY  remained  several  montlis 
in  prison  before  being  publicly  sold.  But 
for  the  high  standing  of  her  father  with  the 
government,  she  would  in  all  probability 
have  shared  the  fate  of  Rasalama.  Her  conversa- 
tion was  discreet  and  edifying,  and  made  a  favor- 
able impression  on  her  heathen  guards.  When 
asked  if  she  was  not  sorry  that  she  had  brought 
this  trouble  on  herself,  she  answered,  with  spirit, 
"  How  can  I  be  sorry  for  the  pardon  of  my  sins 
and  for  asking  God  to  bless  me  and  make  me 
happy  ?" 

At  length  she  was  sold  in  open  market  to  the  chief 
military  officer,  who  gave  her  in  charge  to  a  subor- 
dinate officer,  a  distant  relative  of  the  slave.  He 
treated  her  kindly,  and  her  husband,  being  allowed 
to  come  home,  paid  her  a  visit  of  some  months. 
Another  praying  circle  had  been  formed  by  these 
92 


ESCAPE  OF  BAFAJRA  VA  VY. 


93 


earnest  and  courageous  Christians,  and  the  ardent 
Rafaravavj  joined  the  little  band.  But  they  Mere 
not  long  unmolest€<l.  The  leader,  Rafaralahy,  was 
deceived  in  a  former  teacher  and  friend  whom  he 
introduced  as  a  hopeful  convert  into  the  circle. 
The  supposed  friend  owed  Rafaralahy  some  money, 
and  when  asked  to  pay  it  went  immediately  and 
betrayed  him  and  his  associates  to  the  government. 
Rafaralahy  was  seized  and  put  in  irons.  Every 
effort  was  made  to  persuade  him  to  give  the  names 
of  his  associates,  but  he  firmly  refused :  "  I  am 
here;  1  have  done  it.  Let  the  queen  do  as  she 
pleases  with  me ;  I  will  not  accuse  my  friends.'^ 

After  three  days  of  close  confinement  he  was 
taken  to  the  same  place  of  execution  where,  with 
admiration,  he  had  beheld  the  martyrdom  of  Ra- 
salama.  On  the  way  he  spoke  to  the  officers  of 
the  love  and  mercy  of  Christ,  and  of  his  own  happi- 
ness in  the  prospect  of  soon  seeing  the  Redeemer  who 
had  done  so  much  for  him.  His  last  moments  were 
spent  in  supplication  for  his  country  and  his  per- 
secuted brethren,  and  he  fell  beneath  the  bloody 
spears  as  tranquilly  as  Rasalama  had  done  twelve 
months  before.  His  wife,  a  timid  woman,  and  her 
servant  were  afterward  seized  and  cruelly  beaten  and 
threatened,  until,  overcome  with  pain,  terror  and 


94  THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


exhaustion,  they  gave  the  names  of  those  who  had 
been  accustomed  to  worship  in  their  house. 

While  this  was  going  on,  Rafaravavy,  with  two 
other  Christian  women,  was  quietly  conversing,  in 
entire  ignorance  of  the  fearful  occurrence.  A  slave 
suddenly  entered  and  handed  her  a  note.  Her 
countenance  changed  as  she  read  of  the  death  of 
Rafaralahy  and  the  betrayal  of  herself  and  other 
of  her  associates.  They  all  determined  on  instant 
flight,  although  at  a  loss  to  know  in  what  direction 
they  would  find  safety.  The  two  women  fled  to 
distant  parts  of  the  country,  but  Rafaravavy 
entered  the  capital,  near  which  they  had  been  stay- 
ing. There,  after  conference  and  prayer  with 
some  Christian  friends,  and  after  searching  for  the 
aged  Paul  and  others  equally  implicated,  she  left 
the  city  at  midnight. 

It  was  once  more  a  narrow  escape  from  death. 
The  same  evening  a  warrant  had  been  prepared  for 
her  death,  and  in  the  morning  the  officers  went  to 
her  master's  house,  and  not  finding  her  there,  to 
every  place  which  she  was  known  to  visit.  Her 
own  nephew,  an  eminent  Christian,  and  the  aged 
Paul  had  been  seized,  and  with  one  other  were  to 
be  put  to  death,  but  the  execution  was  delayed  so 
that  Rafaravavy  might  be  added  to  the  number.  The 


ESCAPE  OF  RAFARAVAVY. 


95 


death  of  four  such  eminent  Christians  at  once 
would,  it  was  believ^ed,  strike  terror  into  the  minds 
of .  the  people  and  hinder  the  progress  of  the 
gospel. 

But  Rafaravavy,  who  mingled  much  of  the  wis- 
dom of  the  serpent  with  the  harraleasness  of  the 
dove,  was  not  to  be  found.  She  made  good  use  of 
the  hours  of  darkness  in  putting  a  long  distance 
between  herself  and  the  scene  of  danger.  By  the 
evening  of  the  next  day  she  and  her  party  were 
forty  miles  away,  at  the  town  of  Itanimanina. 
There  they  were  cordially  received  by  Christian 
friends,  and  at  the  suggestion  of  an  officer  of  the 
government  who  was  friendly  to  Christians,  and 
who  told  them  that  their  escape  had  made  a  great 
stir  in  the  capital,  they  retraced  their  steps,  and  fled 
to  a  forest  on  the  opposite  or  eastern  side  of  the 
capital. 

Several  Christians  of  high  standing  had  been 
sold  as  slaves  in  consequence  of  their  religion. 
Their  masters  were  traders.  \Yheu  threatened 
with  death  for  persisting  in  Christian  worship, 
they  determined  to  fly. 

But  before  going  they  carefully  packed  the  goods 
they  had  charge  of,  made  out  correct  accounts  of 
all  they  had  sold,  and  enclosing  the  money  in  the 


96 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


package  with  the  letter,  left  it,  properly  addressed, 
for  their  masters.  One  of  these,  a  high  govern- 
ment officer,  on  opening  the  package  and  finding 
the  money,  exclaimed,  with  astonishment,  "  This  is 
not  customary,  for  slaves  when  running  away  to 
send  back  their  masters'  property.  These  people 
w^ould  make  excellent  servants,  if  it  were  not  for 
their  praying." 

The  fugitives  remained  three  months  concealed 
in  this  forest.  They  depended  on  a  friend  in  the 
city  for  their  supply  of  rice,  which  he  carried  on 
his  back  a  distance  of  forty  miles. 

Rafaravavy  found  shelter  at  night  in  the  houses 
of  kind  friends,  but  before  daylight  every  morning 
she  was  obliged  to  hide  in  the  hollows  of  the 
mountain.  Her  night  refnge  was  discovered,  and 
eight  soldiers  were  sent  from  the  capital  to  capture 
this  single  Christian  woman.  But  it  was  only  to 
add  another  to  her  many  marvelous  deliverances. 
Two  of  the  soldiers  were  close  upon  the  house,  un- 
known to  herself  or  any  others  inside  of  it.  Ra- 
faravavy  had  but  two  minutes'  warning.  She 
could  only  hide  herself  behind  a  hanging  mat  be- 
fore they  entered,  told  their  errand  and  inquired 
where  she  was.  She  heard  every  syllable  they 
uttered,  and  trembled  lest  her  own  loud  breathino 


ESCAPE  OF  RAFARAVAVY. 


97 


should  betray  her  place  of  concealment.  A.fter 
talking  some  time  with  the  soldiers  the  master  of 
the  house  rose  to  go  out.  The  soldiers,  suspecting 
that  he  went  to  inform  E-afarayavy  of  her  danger, 
went  out  with  him,  thus  giving  her  time  to  escape, 
which,  you  may  be  sure,  she  improved  without 
delay. 

The  presence  of  the  soldiers  in  the  district  not 
only  made  it  impossible  for  the  fugitives  to  find 
shelter,  but  brought  all  who  had  sheltered  them 
into  such  danger  that  they  also  were  compelled  to 
fly  from  their  homes  and  join  those  whom  they  had 
so  kindly  protected.  Thus  for  weeks  these  home- 
less and  hunted  wanderers  fled  from  their  pursuers, 
suffering  the  greatest  privation  and  distress. 
Sometimes  their  enemies  would  be  close  upon 
them,  and  they  would  be  compelled  to  plunge  for 
concealment  into  a  bog,  in  which  they  would  sink 
so  deep  as  to  be  unable  to  extricate  themselves 
without  help. 

At  one  time  Rafaravavy  was  hid  in  an  empty 
room  with  an  unfastened  door,  before  which  the 
soldiers  who  searched  the  house  stood,  but  the 
master  of  the  house,  a  friend  of  the  Christians, 
diverted  their  attention  from  it  long  enough  if 
allow  her  to  escape. 

7 


98         THE  STORY  OF  3fADAGASCAR. 


The  rain,  which  fell  in  torrents,  drenched  them. 
Their  bed  was  the  bare  ground,  amid  rocks  and 
boulders.  Sometimes  they  would  hide  in  the  tall 
grass  that  grew  on  the  top  of  some  ancient  burial- 
mound.  Traveling  frequently  by  night,  they  fell 
in  with  brigands  and  robbers.  Once  they  took 
refuge  in  what  turned  out  to  be  a  robbers'  cave. 

Late  one  evening,  on  entering  a  village,  and 
hearing  in  one  of  the  houses  a  loud  noise  as  of 
persons  talking,  they  quietly  passed  on  to  an- 
other known  as  the  dwelling  of  a  friend.  She  met 
them  with  silent  looks  of  amazement,  and  told 
them  that  soldiers  in  search  of  them  were  in  the 
village,  and  a  party  of  them  in  the  very  house 
where  they  had  noticed  the  noise.  In  great  em- 
barrassment she  hid  them  in  a  pit  and  cov- 
ered its  mouth  with  thorn  bushes.  There  they  re- 
mained for  twenty-four  hours,  after  which  they 
found  refuge  for  several  days  on  a  manioc  planta- 
tion belonging  to  the  same  person.  Here  a  party 
of  eight  soldiers  passed  by  without  discovering  them. 
From  this  place  of  refuge  they  passed  to  another, 
also  the  property  of  a  friend,  a  few  miles  distant. 

The  fugitives  had  not  more  cause  for  gratitude 
to  a  protecting  Providence  than  for  surprise  and 
rejoicing  at  the  numerous  friends  and  truly  pious 


Natives,  with  village  ia  the  back  grouad. 


ESCAPE  OF  EAFABAVAVT. 


99 


persons  whom  they  met  at  great  distances  from  the 
scene  of  missionary  teaching  and  labor.  The  first 
halting-place  they  reached  on  their  present  flight 
from  their  pursuers  was  nearly  fifty  miles  from 
the  capital,  yet  they  found  Christian  families  who 
welcomed  and  sheltered  them.  And  often  in  their 
wanderings  both  east  and  west  of  the  capital,  in 
lonely  dwellings  rather  than  in  villages,  they 
would  come  unexpectedly  upon  some  Christian 
household  never  heard  of  or  suspected  before, 
sometimes  possessing  parts  of  the  Scriptures  and 
able  to  read  them,  keeping  the  Sabbath,  sometimes 
forming  with  other  families  scattered  over  the 
country  side  a  circle  that  celebrated  Sunday  by 
united  Christian  worship.  To  the  hunted  and 
famished  Christians  these  households  and  Sabbath 
gatherings  were  surprises  as  joyful  as  fountains 
breaking  forth  in  the  midst  of  the  desert.  They 
proved  how  widely  and  deeply  the  influence  of  the 
missionaries'  teaching  had  spread  and  penetrated 
among  this  people.  That  the  piety  thus  diffused 
was  genuine  is  proved  by  its  fruits.  It  had  created 
a  holy  bond  of  brotherhood  among  Christians. 
Without  hope  of  reward — much  rather  with  the 
certain  prospect  of  loss  and  danger  of  death — they 
befriended  one  another,  they  welcomed  the  fugi- 


100         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


tives  for  the  faith,  and  sheltered  and  fed  them  with 
inexhaustible  generosity. 

It  was  while  sharing  the  protection  of  a  Chris- 
tian friend  that  the  fugitiv-es  learned  that  Mr. 
Johns,  the  missionary,  was  at  Taniatave  on  the 
coast.  On  hearing  this  they  determined  to  make 
the  attempt  to  reach  him,  and  by  his  aid  to  escape 
if  possible  to  some  region  where  love  to  Jesus 
and  prayer  to  God  and  the  humble  effort  to  lead 
a  holy  life  were  not  regarded  as'  capital  crimes. 
Word  was  sent  to  Mr.  Johns  of  their  intentions, 
and  he  gladly  accepted  the  duty,  and  arranged  with 
a  Christian  native  the  details  of  their  escape.  When 
the  messengers  returned  from  the  coast  and  brought 
back  this  welcome  news,  Rafaravavy  and  four 
other  condemned  Christians  commenced  their  ex- 
tremely perilous  journey  to  Tamatave.  For  four 
days  and  nights  they  did  not  venture  to  enter  a 
house. 

Two  days'  journey  brought  them  to  the  precipi- 
tous pass  of  Angova,  after  which  they  traveled 
through  the  country  of  the  beautiful  rofia  palm 
and  the  refreshing  traveler's  tree.  This  brought 
them  to  the  coast,  where  they  skirted  the  edges  of 
the  numerous  lakes  or  walked  toilsomely  on  the 
yielding  sands  of  the  seashore.    When  near  Tama- 


The  Jack  Tree  and  Fruit. 

Page  100. 


ESCAPE  OF  BAFARAVAVY. 


101 


tave  they  were  obliged  to  hide  in  the  jungle,  and 
sent  their  servants  to  the  Christian  friend  instead 
of  going  themselves,  being  afraid  of  meeting  with 
the  soldiers,  who  were  numerous  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

Their  friend,  whom  God  had  raised  up  for  their 
deliverance,  was  himself  a  military  officer  and  a 
judge,  a  secret  believer  in  Jesus,  who  risked  his 
place  and  his  life  in  befriending  the  fugitives.  The 
servants  were  gone  two  days,  which  was  a  period 
of  anxiety  as  intense  as  any  they  had  ever  ex- 
perienced. Finally  the  messengers  came  back 
with  a  smile  of  triumph  in  their  faces.  They  had 
made  an  appointment  with  their  friend,  and  before 
the  sun  set  he  had  carried  the  fugitives  in  a  canoe 
to  his  own  dwelling.  Here  they  were  received 
with  marked  kindness,  and  after  satisfying  their 
immediate  wants  they  united  in  joyful  worship. 

The  ship  which  had  been  expected  soon  after 
arrived.  Word  was  sent  to  the  fugitives  to  cut  off 
their  hair  in  order  to  disguise  themselves.  Near 
nightfall  they  were  led  by  their  guide  again  to 
the  jungle.  There  they  further  disguised  them- 
selves in  sailors'  clothes.  The  guards  on  the  land- 
ing-place were  by  some  means  diverted  from  ob- 
serving their  movements,  and  the  moment  at  last 


102         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

came  which  was  to  decide  their  fate.  Almost  hold- 
ing their  breath,  they  moved  to  the  water's  edge, 
entered  the  boat,  pushed  from  the  shore,  glided 
over  the  waters  and  reached  the  ship's  side.  When 
all  were  on  deck,  the  kind  captain,  rubbing  his 
hands,  exclaimed,  "It  is  done."  Sails  were  set,  a 
favoring  breeze  sprung  up,  and  on  the  thirteenth  of 
October,  1838,  the  party  had  reached  the  English 
island  of  Mauritius. 

In  about  a  month  the  Christian  soldier  and 
magistrate,  who  had  aided  so  materially  in  their  es- 
cape, found  it  necessary  that  he  also  should  fly.  In 
May,  1839,  the  whole  party  arrived  in  Christian 
England,  where  they  were  welcomed  with  most 
affectionate  gladness  and  admiration. 

On  their  way  to  England,  the  fugitives  stopped 
a  short  time  at  Port  Elizabeth,  in  South  Africa. 
There  the}^  met  with  fellow-converts  to  Christianity 
among  the  Hottentots  who  gave  them  a  cordial 
welcome.  Their  language  was  quite  different ;  and 
although  they  found  an  interpreter,  he  knew  and 
cared  so  little  about  religion  that  they  could  not 
make  him  understand  their  feelings  or  express 
them  to  one  another.  They  were  not  to  be  hin- 
dered by  this,  however,  but  taking  their  Bibles,  they 
would  turn  to  the  same  passage  in  each,  and  thus 


ESCAPE  OF  RAFABA  VA  VY. 


103 


readily  couv^erse  together.  The  Hottentots  made 
the  esc^aped  Christians  understand  that  they  were 
among  friends,  although  their  fathers  were  cruel 
and  savage,  murdering  and  devouring  strangers. 
But  God  had  had  compassion  on  them,  sending 
them  missionaries  who  taught  them  about  Jesus. 

They  pointed  to  Ephesians,  second  chapter,  second 
verse :  "xlmong  whom  we  all  had  our  conversation 
in  time  past,"  etc.  The  Madagascar  Christians,  de- 
lighted, turned  to  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  verse: 

For  He  is  our  peace,  who  hath  made  both  one, 
and  hath  broken  down  the  middle  wall  of  partition," 
etc. ;  also  to  Gral.  iii.  28  :  "  Ye  are  all  one  in  Christ 
Jesus."  Another  time  the  Hottentots  pointed  to 
John  xvi.  33 :  "  In  the  world  we  shall  have  tribu- 
lation." The  Madagascars  replied  by  turning  to 
Rom.  viii.  35 :  "  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the 
love  of  Christ?  shall  tribulation,  or  distress,  or 
persecution,  or  famine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or 
sword  ?" 

When  about  to  part,  these  friends  in  Christ 
united  in  singing  a  hymn.  It  was  sung  in  different 
languages,  but  the  sentiment  and  the  tune  were  the 
same.  The  Hottentots  made  a  little  collection 
among  themselves  to  help  pay  the  expenses  of  the 
voyage  to  England.    They  went  down  to  the  beach 


104        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

with  them,  and  while  waiting  for  the  boat  they 
kneeled  down  and  commended  them  to  God,  and 
parted  from  them  with  many  tears. 

The  fugitives  reached  England  in  May,  1839,  and 
immediately  received  an  enthusiastic  welcome.  They 
traveled  through  the  island  and  beheld  the  vast 
advantages  of  its  Christian  civilization.  But  their 
hearts  reverted  fondly  to  the  scenes  they  had  left, 
and  especially  to  those  who  were  passing  through 
the  fiery  furnace  from  which  they  had  escaped. 
They  were  presented  with  a  printing-press,  which 
they  used  to  multiply  copies  of  a  letter  of  their 
own  writing  to  their  suffering  friends  at  home. 
Here  are  passages  from  this  affecting  letter : 

"  Although  we  are  thus  happy  in  the  enjoyment 
of  many  mercies  in  this  land,  yet  our  hearts  are 
full  of  grief  and  sighing  when  we  remember  you, 
with  whom  we  often  united  in  prayer  and  praise, 
and  who  are  still  enduring  persecution.  Dear 
friends,  we  cannot  forget  you,  we  are  partakers  of 
your  sorrows,  and  sympathize  with  you  in  your 
afflictions.  When  we  heard  of  your  enduring 
cruel  scourgings,  we  felt  as  if  we  also  had  been 
scourged  with  you.  When  we  heard  of  your  being 
subjected  to  hard  and  cruel  labor,  we  felt  as  if  we 
were  under  your  burdens.   When  we  heard  of  your 


ESCAPE  OF  RAFABAVAVY. 


105 


being  compelled  to  leave  your  houses,  and,  without 
any  settled  abode,  wandering  about  in  the  wilder- 
ness, hiding  yourselves  in  dens  and  caves  of  the 
earth,  exposed  to  the  heat  of  the  sun  by  day  and 
the  cold  air  of  the  night,  we  felt  as  if  we  were 
with  you  in  all  your  journeys  and  taking  a  part  in 
all  your  troubles." 

Then  they  go  on  to  tell  their  .friends  that  they 
had  sometimes  spent  a  whole  day  in  fasting  and 
prayer  on  their  behalf,  and  particularly  for  the 
queen,  that  God  would  change  her  heart.  They 
say,  "  We  feel  no  resentment,  only  pity.  We  cry 
to  God,  if  it  be  his  will,  to  cause  us  and  our  perse- 
cutors to  inherit  together  eternal  life,  as  Saul  and 
Stephen  are  now  in  heaven." 

Then  they  add  many  words  of  encouragement : 
"  Be  strong,  beloved  friends,  and  do  not  be  dis- 
couraged; these  afflictions  will  not  last  long;  better 
days  are  at  hand.  If  you  should  not  be  delivered 
from  them  while  you  continue  in  this  world,  in 
heaven  you  will  be  free  from  them  all.  And  in  all 
your  wanderings  and  afflictions  be  not  discouraged, 
for  God  is  the  Rock  of  Ages :  upon  him  you  can 
stand  firm;  he  is  a  pillar:  on  him  you  can  lean 
without  fear ;  he  is  a  shield  and  a  stronghold  for 
you,  and  his  word  is  a  lamp  to  your  feet;  wait  for 


106         THE  STORY  OF  MADAOASGAB. 

him  and  trust  in  him,  and  he  will  uphold  you  with 
the  right  hand  of  his  righteousness.  He  shall 
cover  you  with  his  feathers,  and  under  his  wings 
shall  you  trust.  He  will  gather  you  as  a  hen  gath- 
ereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings ;  he  will  increase 
your  strength,  and  will  guide  you  even  to  death.'^ 

Some  curious  mistakes,  of  course,  were  made  by 
persons  so  little  acquainted  with  the  language  and 
manners  of  the  country.  One  of  the  party,  being 
offered  a  steel  pen  as  a  present,  supposing  from  the 
name  "  steel "  that  it  had  been  dishonestly  procured, 
drew  back  quite  shocked  and  shook  his  head.  The 
giver  was  hurt  at  the  refusal ;  and  when  Joseph's 
mistake  was  discovered,  it  was  a  standing  joke 
against  him  for  some  time. 

For  three  years  these  rescued  victims  of  heathen 
malignity  remained  with  their  Christian  friends  in 
England.  Not  only  their  heroic  endurance  and 
suffering  for  Christ,  but  their  personal  characters, 
won  them  universal  regard.  Rafaravavy  espe- 
cially was  distinguished  for  intelligence,  good 
manners,  gentleness,  benevolence  and  sincerity. 
Their  history  sounded  like  a  romance  of  Christian 
chivalry.  Their  lives  and  conduct  bore  the  stamp 
of  practical  Christianity.  They  were  living  epis- 
tles, ministered  by  the  Spirit,  demonstrating  the 


ESCAPE  OF  RAFARAVAVY. 


107 


reality  of  his  work  upon  the  people  of  Madagas- 
car. 

In  1842  they  returned  to  Mauritius.  They 
were  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Johns,  who,  on  their 
arrival  in  Mauritius,  formed  them  into  the  nucleus 
of  a  mission  station  at  Moka,  which  became  a 
place  of  refuge  for  the  fugitives  from  Madagascar. 

Mr.  Johns  kept  up  affectionate  intercourse  with 
the  Christians  in  Madagascar,  and  made  frequent 
voyages  to  the  coast  in  the  vain  effort  to  render 
them  further  aid  in  their  tribulations.  Finally 
his  own  valuable  life  was  sacrificed  in  his  exertions, 
and  in  August,  1843,  in  the  fiftieth  year  of  his 
age,  he  sank  under  fever,  fatigue  and  anxiety,  and 
died. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


END  OF  THE  FIRST  AND  COMMENCEMENT  OF 
THE  SECOND  PERSECUTION. 

HILE  by  the  favor  of  Providence  these 
brave  Christian  men  and  women  escaped  as 
birds  from  the  snare  of  the  fowler,  others 
were  undergoing  cruel  punishments  and 
privations  under  the  rule  of  the  wicked  queen. 
One  woman  who  had  professed  Christ  was  divorced 
from  her  husband,  driven  from  her  father's  house 
and  compelled  to  drink  the  tangena,  under  which 
she  died.  Another,  accused  of  attending  a  prayer- 
meeting,  was  beaten  again  and  again,  in  Xhe  vain 
effort  to  extort  from  her  the  names  of  her  associ- 
ates. Having  undergone  the  tangena,  she  escaped 
with  others  to  uninhabited  parts  of  the  island,  and 
was  not  afterward  heard  of. 

The  escape  of  so  many  of  her  victims  filled  the 
queen  with  rage.  AVith  horrible  ferocity,  she  gave 
fresh  orders  to  her  soldiers  to  bind  hand  and  foot 

108 


PERSECUTION. 


109 


any  Christian  whom  they  might  find,  and  without 
delay  or  ceremony  dig  a  pit  on  the  spot,  cast  them 
into  it  head  foremost,  pour  boiling  water  on  them 
till  they  died,  and  then  fill  up  the  pit  and  go 
search  for  other  victims.  She  would  not  believe 
that  the  Christians  had  not  some  secret  charm 
which  not  only  enabled  so  many  to  escape,  but 
which  gave  them  power  for  evil  over  others. 

But  the  Christians  all  continued  to  be  true  and 
faithful  t9  each  other,  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
dreadful  penalties  threatened  and  the  unceasing 
watch  placed  upon  their  actions  their  number  con- 
tinued to  increase.  A  general  sympathy  was 
aroused,  even  among  the  heathen,  by  the  barbarity 
of  the  queen's  order.  The  quiet  but  firm  endur- 
ance of  suffering  and  death  by  the  Christians  con- 
founded their  persecutors.  They  were  constrained 
to  acknowledge  that  they  were  sustained  by  a  power 
more  than  human,  and  many  concluded  that  a  re- 
ligion which  took  away  the  fear  of  death  must  be 
founded  on  the  truth. 

The  queen  did  not  sharpen  her  vigilance  in  vain. 
On  the  twenty-third  of  May,  1840,  sixteen  Chris- 
tians who  had  been  accused  and  compelled  to  fly  from 
their  homes  for  their  religion,  under  encouragement 
from  missionaries  and  English  friends  in  Madagas- 


110         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

car  and  Mauritius,  attempted  to  make  their  way 
to  Tamatave,  and  thus  escape  from  the  island. 
They  had  gone  in  safety  through  two  of  the  in- 
tervening provinces;  but  when  a  short  distance 
north  of  the  Hot  Springs,  or  Ranomafana,  tliey 
were  betrayed  by  one  of  their  guides,  captured  and 
carried  back  to  the  capital.  While  on  the  return, 
when  within  six  miles  of  the  city,  one  of  the  com- 
pany, a  woman,  with  the  bravery  and  sagacity  which 
we  have  already  marked  in  these  Madagascar  wo- 
men, slipped  behind  one  of  the  men  and  made  her 
escape.  A  friend,  a  woman  again,  provided  for 
her  safety,  placing  her  in  an  unoccupied  house,  the 
doors  and  windows  of  which  were  filled  with  stones. 

The  remaining  captives  were  brought  to  the  city 
and  closely  questioned  about  their  associates,  but 
they  refused  to  name  a  single  one  of  the  two  hun- 
dred Christians  who  were  probably  then  living  in 
the  capital  or  the  suburbs.  The  prisoners  were 
then  bound  and  placed  under  guard,  but  in  the 
night  a  young  man  by  the  vigorous  use  of  his 
teeth  undid  the  cords  on  his  wrists,  and  with  freed 
hands  and  teeth  soon  liberated  his  feet.  Opening 
the  window  of  his  prison,  and  finding  the  guards 
asleep  on  the  outside,  he  passed  out  unharmed,  and 
made  his  appearance  at  the  door  of  a  friend^s  house 


PERSECUTION. 


Ill 


in  Aualakely,  and  startled  the  inmates  as  if  with  a 
vision  from  the  dead.  Receiving  him  with  glad- 
ness after  their  first  burst  of  astonishment  was  over, 
they  afterward  saw  him  safely  concealed  by  a  mil- 
itary friend  among  the  tents  of  some  new  recruits 
from  the  country.  Thirteen  years  afterward  Mr. 
Ellis  met  the  man  in  Madagascar,  still  unharmed, 
but  in  constant  peril  so  long  as  E-anavalona  con- 
tinued upon  the  throne. 

On  the  ninth  of  July  a  great  assembly  of  people 
was  again  called  at  the  capital.  From  early  morn- 
ing the  crowds  began  to  collect  on  the  plain.  The 
prisoners  were  brought  out  in  sight  of  the  multi- 
tude. Toward  noon  proclamation  was  made  of 
the  queen's  displeasure  at  the  continued  evidence 
of  an  inclination  toward  Christianity  among  the 
people,  in  spite  of  all  she  had  done  to  alter  it.  As 
to  the  sixteen  prisoners  lately  captured,  eleven  of 
them  were  condemned  to  death,  two  of  them,  how- 
ever, having  escaped.  The  remaining  nine  would 
be  put  to  death  immediately. 

Too  weak  from  long  privations  to  walk,  they 
were  tied  to  poles,  and  the  poles  slung  across  the 
shoulders  of  carriers,  who  bore  them  to  the  place 
of  execution.  All  appeared  engaged  in  prayer, 
and  the  faces  of  some  were  radiant  with  a  holy 


112         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


calm.  One  of  them,  a  brave  Christian  woman, 
like  those  we  have  already  become  acquainted  with, 
spoke  openly  to  the  soldiers  of  the  Saviour  in 
whom  she  trusted.  On  a  rugged  hill  nearly  oppo- 
site to  the  palace  they  fell  under  the  executioner's 
spear.  Paul  the  aged,  the  converted  conjurer  and 
faithful  preacher,  was  among  the  victims  at  this 
time.    This  was  in  the  summer  of  1840. 

These  executions  only  seemed  to  deepen  the  im- 
pression in  favor  of  Christianity.  For  a  couple  of 
years  they  were  suspended.  Omens  like  the  burst- 
ing of  a  cannon  on  this  occasion  were  interpreted 
as  boding  evil  to  the  persecutors.  The  people  be- 
came less  willing  to  inform  against  the  Christians. 
The  noble  bearing,  the  love  and  confidence  toward 
Christ,  and  the  tender  interest  in  the  salvation  of 
their  persecutors  and  executioners  shown  by  the 
Christians,  were  the  most  convincing  proofs  that 
could  be  given  to  the  natives  of  the  truth  of  the 
religion  for  which  they  died.  The  executions 
stopped  the  mouths  of  the  people,  but  they  could 
not  prevent  the  working  of  their  thoughts.  There 
were  deep  ponderings  and  just  comparisons  made 
upon  the  differences  between  the  heathen  and  the 
Christian  religions.  The  supporters  of  idolatry 
found  their  influence  waning  in  spite  of  the  atro- 


SECOXD  PERSECUTION. 


113 


cious  course  they  were  pursuing  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  their  object.  But  the  hindrances  to  the 
spread  of  the  gospel  were  not  diminished.  The 
soldiers  now  in  greater  numbers  sought  out  the 
flying  Christians,  and  became  more  fully  acquaint- 
ed with  their  hiding-places.  Escape  became 
more  difficult.  Places  of  meeting  became  less 
numerous,  more  difficult  to  reach  and  less  nu- 
merously attended.  The  darkest  days  that  had 
as  yet  befallen  their  cause  were  upon  them.  No 
earthly  consolation  could  reach  them.  Yet  even 
under  these  circumstances  additions  were  made  to 
their  numbers,  and  their  own  faith  continued 
steadfast. 

Two  years  passed  by  without  any  more  execu- 
tions or  violent  demonstrations  against  the  Chris- 
tians. Although  the  lines  cannot  be  very  sharply 
drawn,  it  may  at  all  events  be  convenient  to  reckon 
a  second  stage  of  persecution  as  commencing  with 
the  19th  of  June,  1842.  That  day,  Sunday,  wit- 
nessed the  execution  of  two  converts  who  had  been 
soldiers,  but  who  were  seized  while  returning  from 
a  missionary  tour  among  the  Salaklava  tribes  of 
the  north-west.  As  usual,  they  werQ  cruelly  treated 
to  induce  them  to  betray  their  fellow-believers,  and 
as  usual  in  vain.    They  sent  by  a  friend  who  fed 

8 


114         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


tliein  while  in  prison  a  whispered  message  to  the 
brethren,  assuring  them  that  whatever  they  might 
suffer,  they  would  not  betray  the  names  of  their 
associates,  and  they  kept  their  word.  They  met 
their  fate  with  a  constancy  and  cheerfulness  that 
astonished  the  heathen  spectators. 

Three  months  later  the  rage  of  the  queen  against 
the  Christians  was  rekindled  by  an  act  of  foolish 
bravado  on  the  part  of  some  unknown  person,  who 
fastened  upon  the  wall  of  a  house  in  the  capital  a 
leaf  from  the  Xew  Testament  with  the  words  of 
Matthew  xxiii.  13,  underlined  as  follows :  ^'  Woe 
unto  you,  scribes  and  pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye 
shut  up  the  kingdom  of  heaven  against  men,  for 
ye  neither  go  in  yourselves,  neither  suffer  ye  them 
that  are  entering  to  go  in." 

The  queen,  probably  regarding  the  words  as 
aimed  at  herself,  issued  a  furious  proclamation, 
requiring  the  author  of  the  offence  to  make  con- 
fession in  four  days,  on  penalty  of  being  cut  into 
pieces  as  small  as  musket-balls. 

No  confession  was  made,  and  the  queen  actually 
caused  the  arrest  of  several  Christians,  two  of 
whose  bodies  were  cut  into  mincemeat  and  after- 
ward burned.  The  only  ground  of  suspicion 
against  these  persons  was  that  they  were  Christians 


SECOND  PERSECUTION 


115 


sufficiently  educated  to  read  and  write.  It  is  in- 
deed very  doubtful  whether  so  foolish  and  useless 
an  act  was  done  by  any  Christian  at  all.  It  might 
have  been  the  plot  of  a  shrewd  mischief-maker 
who  only  wished  to  bring  the  Christians  into 
trouble. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  CESAR'S  HOUSEHOLD. 

HE  second  period  of  persecution  was  marked 
by  few  other  acts  of  violence.  Acts  of 
worship  had  to  be  performed  in  secret. 
Sunday  services  were  held  in  places  so 
remote  that  the  worshipers  had  to  start  the  day 
before  in  order  to  be  there  in  season.  But  the 
people  who  did  not  join  in  the  services  refused  to 
inform  ao^ainst  them.  The  numbers  of  the  Chris- 
tians  continued  to  increase,  and  for  two  years,  from 
1847  to  1849,  the  churches  had  rest,  and  were 
edified,  and  walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord  and  in 
the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  were  multiplied. 

For  now  the  light  of  truth  had  penetrated  the 
royal  household  itself.  A  friend  had  arisen  close 
beside  the  throne,  who,  if  he  could  not  entirely 
change  the  anti-Christian  policy  of  tlie  queen,  could 
delay  its  progress  and  lessen  its  violence.  The 

116 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  CESAR'S  HOUSEHOLD.  117 

only  son  of  the  queen  and  heir  to  the  throne,  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  became  interested  in  the  Christians. 

Rakatond-Radaraa — for  that  was  his  name — ap- 
peared to  be  naturally  of  a  sweet  and  amiable  dis- 
position, just  the  reverse  of  that  of  his  mother. 
He  seemed  to  take  delight  in  relieving  the  op- 
pressed people,  and  in  following  his  mother's  cru- 
elties with  such  acts  of  kindness  as  were  in  his 
power  to  bestow.  He  hated  the  shedding  of  blood 
and  labored  to  reverse  his  mother's  ever-ready  sen- 
tence of  death  upon  her  unfortunate  subjects.  He 
was  always  ready  to  listen  to  the  stories  of  the  suf- 
ferers, and  strictly  forbade  his  slaves  turning  any 
applicant  away  on  the  plea  that  his  master  was 
sleeping  or  at  his  meals.  People  would  often  come 
to  him  at  the  middle  of  the  night  with  petitions 
for  their  relatives  who  were  to  be  executed  early 
the  next  morning.  And  so  anxious  was  he  for 
their  rescue,  that  if  he  failed  in  his  appeal  for 
mercy  be  would  meet  the  victims  on  the  road  to 
execution,  cut  their  cords  and  set  them  free.  It 
was  very  strange  that  such  a  character  could  spring 
from  such  an  origin.  And  it  was  stranger  still,  if 
possible,  that  a  strong  affection  could  subsist  be- 
tween such  a  mother  and  such  a  son,  and  that  the 
son,  while  opposing  and  tUwai'ting  the  queen's  pol- 


118         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


icy,  excused  her  bloody  deeds  by  every  conceivable 
argument.  Most  sons  would  have  gone  a  step  far- 
ther, and  have  imbibed  the  prejudices  and  imitated 
the  views  which  he  thus  tenderly  strove  to  palliate. 

It  is  related  of  this  prince  Rakatond  that  he 
has  taken  pains  to  visit  the  scenes  of  severe  com- 
pulsory labor  which  the  queen  frequently  imposed 
upon  her  subjects  for  the  benefit  of  some  one  of 
her  favorites,  where  hundreds  would  be  engaged 
for  months  in  hewing  timber  and  dragging  it  for 
thirty  miles,  in  cutting  stone  and  similar  exhaust- 
ing work,  for  which  they  never  got  the  slightest 
reward  of  any  kind.  Arranging  matters  so  as  to 
seem  to  1^  pass  by  accidentally,  he  would  make 
inquiry  into  the  condition  of  the  people ;  and  if,  as 
was  generally  the  case,  they  were  insufficiently  pro- 
vided with  food,  and  compelled  to  live  on  herbs 
and  roots,  he  would  see  that  oxen  were  killed  and 
the  meat  distributed,  with  rice,  among  the  famished 
laborers  from  the  stores  of  the  nobleman  for  whom 
the  job  was  being  done. 

The  survivors  of  a  crew  of  shipwrecked  sailors 
were  sent  from  the  coast  to  the  capital,  to  be  sold, 
according  to  custom,  as  slaves.  The  prince  met 
them  about  a  day's  journey  from  the  capital,  and 
noticed  one  of  the  party  limping  along  painfully 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  CESAR'S  HOUSEHOLD.  119 

after  the  rest  without  shoes,  when  he  leaped  down, 
drew  oflP  his  own  shoes  and  gave  them  to  the  sailor. 

Another  time,  seeing  a  prisoner  driven  brutally 
with  blows  and  pushed  toward  the  capital,  until 
he  was  utterly  exhausted,  the  prince  reproved  the 
guards  for  their  severity,  alighted  from  his  sedan- 
chair  and  put  the  prisoner,  who  was  a  European, 
into  his  place. 

One  of  Madame  Ida  Pfeiffer's  bearers  who  had 
stolen  an  ox  was  detected  and  sentenced  to  imme- 
diate death.  A  friend  of  the  lady-traveler  and  of 
the  prince  hunted  up  the  latter  with  some  difficulty, 
secured  his  mediation  when  the  culprit  had  but  half 
an  hour  to  live.  The  prince  proceeded  at  once  to  the 
prison,  opened  the  captive's  door  and  pointed  him 
the  way  homeward.  IMadame  Pfeiffer  declares  that 
many  days  did  not  elapse  without  his  saving  life 
or  performing  some  generous  action.  He  would 
often  give  away  his  last  dollar,  distribute  all  his 
stores  of  rice  and  other  provisions,  and  seemed 
doubly  pleased  when  the  persons  thus  aided  knew 
not  the  benefactor  to  whom  they  were  indebted. 
How  much  is  due  in  these  admirable  traits  of  the 
prince's  character  and  conduct  to  the  general  influ- 
ence of  Christian  teaching  among  the  people  can- 
not be  fully  disclof^.     A  naturally  genial  and 


120       THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


kindly  disposition  led  him  to  look  favorably  upon 
a  religion  of  peace  on  earth  and  good-will  to  men. 
About  this  time,  1847,  there  had  arisen  a  mighty 
preacher  among  the  Christians,  whose  name  was 
Ramaka,  called  Rasalasala — the  bold  one — by  his 
admiring  associates.  In  spite  of  the  severe  penal- 
ties threatened  by  the  queen,  the  fame  of  this 
preacher  spread  abroad,  and  multitudes  gathered 
to  hear  him.  He  was  the  first  popular  preacher 
in  the  Madagascar  church,  and  he  "drew''  select 
as  well  as  large  congregations.  Prince  Rakatond, 
son  of  the  queen,  daring  all  the  possible  evil  con- 
sequences, went  to  hear  him,  and  was  deeply  and 
favorably  impressed. 

He  even  went  a  long  step  farther.  He  engaged 
Christian  teachers  to  come  to  his  house  every  even- 
ing when  he  was  not  otherwise  engaged,  to  pray 
and  explain  the  Scriptures  to  him.  At  the  same 
time,  he  often  attended  Sabbath  worship.  He 
interfered  in  behalf  of  a  number  of  Christians 
sentenced  to  death  so  effectually  that  only  one 
perished,  while  five  were  sold  into  slavery,  two 
escaped  and  the  rest  remained  in  chains.  The 
grateful  Christians  wrote  to  the  missionaries  about 
their  new  friend.  "  Thanks  to  the  prudent  media- 
tion of  the  prince,  the  things  reported  by  the  spies 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  CAESAR'S  HOUSEHOLD.  121 


proceed  no  further.  The  prince,"  they  say,  "  comes 
regularly  with  us  in  the  woods  on  Sunday  for  wor- 
ship, and  often  takes  some  of  us  home  to  explain 
to  him  the  word  of  truth."  It  is  very  strange, 
yet  true,  that,  in  spite  of  all  the  interest  he  took 
and  the  valuable  services  he  rendered,  he  never 
gave  conclusive  evidence  either  now  or  in  the  after 
part  of  his  career  of  a  real  change  of  heart. 

Another  powerful  friend  was  at  this  time  raised 
up  for  the  Christians  in  the  person  of  Prince  Ra- 
monja,  the  cousin  of  Prince  Rakatond.  He  was 
older  than  the  queen's  son,  but  a  man  of  like  gen- 
tle spirit,  strongly  attached  to  his  royal  cousin, 
and  like  him  a  great  favorite  with  the  queen.  He 
not  only  allied  himself  with  the  Christians,  but 
allowed  them  to  meet  for  worship  in  his  own  house. 

A  nephew  of  the  prime  minister,  also,  at  this 
period  declared  himself  a  Christian.  He  had  been 
sent  to  one  of  the  meetings  of  the  Christians  to 
take  down  the  names  of  those  present  and  report 
them  to  the  government.  Instead  of  doing  this, 
he  informed  the  Christians  of  the  object  of  his 
visit  and  dismissed  them  to  their  homes.  When 
asked  by  his  uncle  for  the  list,  he  answered,  "  There 
is  none."  His  uncle  accused  him  of  being  a  Chris- 
tian, and  told  him  he  must  lose  his  head  as  a  con- 


122         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

sequence.  The  young  man  calmly  replied,  "I 
am  a  Christian,  and  if  you  will  you  can  put  me  to 
death,  but  pray  I  must."  The  uncle,  however, 
failed  to  put  his  threat  into  execution,  and  Chris- 
tian boldness  triumphed. 

Restrictions  and  hindrances,  however,  were  not 
removed.  Those  who  had  previously  been  con- 
demned were  kept  in  chains  under  a  guard  of  sol- 
diers, but  their  friends  and  others  had  free  access 
to  them,  and  the  prisoners  made  abundant  use  of 
their  opportunities  to  converse,  pray  and  praise 
with  these  visitors.  They  read  and  explained  the 
Scriptures,  and  in  fact  were  preachers  in  bonds,  so 
that  their  "bonds  in  Christ  were  manifest  in  all 
the  palace  and  in  all  other  places."  This  preach- 
ing was  blessed  to  the  conversion  of  numbers. 
Even  some  of  the  soldiers  on  guard  over  them 
were  converted  to  Christ.  Gradually  their  chains 
were  loosed  and  their  limbs  were  freed. 

Besides  preaching  the  word,  these  prisoners 
employed  themselves  in  patching  up  the  few  well- 
worn  Bibles  and  other  books  remaining  among  the 
Christians.  The  famine  of  the  written  word  was 
keenly  felt.  Most  of  the  educated  Christians  em- 
ployed themselves  in  copying  out,  so  far  as  their 
materials  would  allow,  portions  of  Scripture  and 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  CESAR'S  HOUSEHOLD.  123 


other  books.  Mr.  Ellis  brought  home  with  him 
from  Madagascar  no  more  affecting  memorials  of 
the  persecution  than  some  of  those  fragments  of 
Scripture,  worn,  soiled  by  the  dust  of  the  earth  in 
which  they  had  been  buried,  or  by  the  smoke  of 
the  thatch  w^here  they  had  been  hidden,  rent,  but 
with  the  torn  edges  most  carefully  drawn  together 
and  sewed  with  fibres  of  bark,  or  with  the  margins 
protected  by  pieces  of  stronger  paper. 


CHAPTEK  XI. 

THE  RAINBOW  OVER  THE  FLAMES.— THIRD  PER- 
SECUTION. « 

UT  all  the  favor  of  the  great  could  not  se- 
cure the  Christians  long  against  the  rage 
of  the  queen.  The  two  years  of  security 
and  tranquil  progress  came  suddenly  to  an 
end.  One  of  the  princes  known  to  be  favorable  to 
the  Christians,  Prince  Ramonja,  was  the  first  object 
of  atjtack.  On  the  nineteenth  of  February,  1849, 
two  of  his  houses  which  had  been  used  as  places 
of  worship  were  destroyed  and  the  materials  car- 
ried off  as  spoil.  Eleven  Christians  were  seized 
and  put  in  chains.  A  kabar  or  public  meeting 
was  called  at  Andahalo.  These  kabars,  as  they 
are  called  in  the  language  of  Madagascar,  meaning 
"  business,"  were  often  the  occasion  of  great  suffer- 
ing in  themselves.  Not  only  the  men,  but  women, 
children  and  all,  were  required  to  attend  a  kabar  at 

124 


THE  RAINBOW  OVER  THE  FLAMES.  125 


some  point  or  other.  Sometimes  it  was  held  in  a 
distant  place,  so  that  the  people  must  travel  several 
days  to  reach  it.  Nor  were  the  laws  and  orders 
read  to  them  at  once,  but  w^ere  often  postponed 
from  day  to  day,  so  that  the  multitude  would  be 
kept  weeks  away  from  their  homes.  Being  poorly 
supplied  with  provisions  and  money,  many  would 
die  of  hunger,  or  live  miserably  on  roots  and  herbs. 
The  queen  seemed  to  plan  the  destruction  of  her 
people  by  just  such  means  as  these,  as  well  as  by 
the  cruel  orders  and  edicts  she  announced. 

At  the  kabar,  on  the  nineteenth  of  February, 
1849,  the  queen  addressed  a  message  of  inquiry  to 
the  Christians,  the  substance  of  which  was :  "  I 
have  killed  some,  I  have  made  some  slaves  till 
death,  I  have  put  some  in  long  and  heavy  fetters ; 
how  is  it  that  you  do  not  give  up  praying 

Answers  were  given  by  the  Christians,  fully 
admitting  the  offence  charged,  but  pleading  that 
reverence  for  God  and  for  his  law  made  it  neces- 
sary for  them  to  continue  praying.  They  said, 
"  Our  prayers  will  be  a  benefit  to  the  queen  herself, 
as  well  as  to  the  kingdom  and  to  ourselves,  for  we 
seek  God\s  blessing  upon  all."  After  a  week's 
delay  the  queen  answered  by  ordering  the  Chris- 
tians, as  at  first,  to  accuse  themselves.    The  judges 


126         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


charged  with  receiving  their  confessions  tock  a 
different  course,  apparently,  from  that  at  first  in- 
tended. They  urged  upon  the  people  to  take  the 
oath  which  recognized  the  idols  as  true  gods. 

This  the  Christians  refused  to  do.  In  reply  to 
the  demands  of  the  judges  the  Madagascar  women 
showed  their  usual  heroism.  "I  do  not  pray  to 
wood  and  stones  nor  to  the  mountains,"  said  one. 
"  Unto  God  alone  do  I  pray,  for  he  is  great  and 
without  associates  or  equals.'^  "  You  wretch !" 
was  the  reply ;  "  will  you  not  pray  to  the  spirits 
of  the  ancestors  and  the  idols  I  do  not  pray 
to  those,"  was  the  simple  and  noble  reply.  "  It  is 
God  alone  that  I  serve." 

Rainitraho,  a  noble,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  sovereigns  of  the  country,  was 
among  these  confessors.  When  asked  to  take  the 
oath  and  render  homage  to  the  departed  spirits  of 
his  royal  ancestors,  he  replied  that  they  were  kings 
to  be  served,  but  not  to  be  worshiped.  His  example 
was  so  much  feared  that  the  officers  stopped  the 
examinations,  lest  all  the  people  in  the  district 
would  be  carried  away. 

A  woman  in  another  district,  replying  to  the 
summons  to  the  idolatrous  ceremony,  said,  "  I 
believe  in  God  and  wish  to  obey  whatever  he  com- 


THE  RAINBOW  OVER  THE  FLA3IES.  127 


mands  me.  I  put  my  trust  iu  Jesus,  the  Saviour* 
aud  liedeemer  of  all  who  put  their  trust  in  him.'^ 
Another,  a  beautiful  and  interesting  young  woman 
of  good  family,  whose  case  created  general  concern, 
and  whom  the  queen  herself  was  loth  to  sacrifice, 
said,  "  I  cannot  serve  the  idols.  God  alone  will  I 
serve  as  long  as  life  lasts,  for  God  has  given  me 
that  higher  spiritual  life  by  which  I  worship  him." 
The  officer  remonstrated :  "  Perhaps  you  are  not 
in  your  right  mind ;  you  may  be  under  the  power 
of  a  charm.  Consider  well ;  do  not  destroy  your- 
self." But  Ranivo  disclaimed  anything  of  the 
kind ;  and  turning  to  her  father,  who  was  standing 
by,  she  renewed  her  confession,  and  the  order  to 
bind  her  with  the  others  was  given. 

Sentence  was  deferred  till  the  next  day,  the 
morning  of  which  was  ushered  in  with  the  firing 
of  cannon.  At  intervals  the  firing  was  continued 
through  the  morning  while  the  multitude  was 
gathering  at  Analakely.  The  agitated  minds  of 
the  people  were  still  further  stirred  when  the  men 
and  women  who  had  refused  to  deny  their  faith 
were  brought  forward  to  suffer  the  penalty.  Strung  * 
upon  poles,  with  no  clothing  but  soiled  and  torn 
pieces  of  matting,  and  with  their  mouths  stuffed 
full  of  rags  to  prevent  their  speaking  of  the  Saviour 


128         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

to  the  people,  the  company  of  eighteen  condemned 
Christians,  including  nobles,  common  people  and 
slaves,  were  borne  along  to  the  appointed  spot. 
There  they  were  met  by  the  officers,  judges  and 
attendants,  marching  to  the  sound  of  military 
music,  with  all  the  pomp  of  heathen  ceremony,  in 
order  to  make  the  delivery  of  the  queen's  message 
as  impressive  as  possible.  The  message  was  as 
follows 

"  I,  the  queen  of  Madagascar,  declare  that  no 
religion  whatever,  excepting  that  of  your  ancestors, 
shall  ever  be  introduced  and  practiced  in  my  coun- 
try; anything  besides  is  totally  rejected  by  me. 
Had  I  not  ordered  the  followers  of  the  new  relig- 
ion to  make  public  confession,  they  would  soon 
overturn  the  country,  and  all  the  people  would  fol- 
low them.  I  consider  them  rebels,  and  I  declare 
to  you  how  I  will  have  them  punished  as  the  spirits 
of  my  ancestors  have  revealed  to  me/' 

The  sentence  was  that  the  four  nobles,  two  of 
them  being  man  and  wife,  should  be  burned  alive 
at  Faravohitra,  a  village  near  the  capital;  the 
other  fourteen  should  be  hurled  from  a  precipice 
a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  west  of  the  palace, 
and  their  wives  and  children  should  be  sold  into 
irredeemable  slavery. 


THE  RAIXr>OW  OVER  THE  FLAMES.  129 

Besides  these  cases,  labor  in  chains  for  life  was 
inflicted  on  one  hundred  and  seventeen  persons, 
most  of  whom  were  also  to  be  publicly  flogged; 
Dearly  seventeen  hundred  were  fined  for  attending 
Christian  worship,  and  Prince  Raraonja  was  fined 
one  hundred  dollars  and  reduced  from  his  high 
rank  in  the  army  to  the  position  of  a  common  sol- 
dier. All  other  officers  in  the  array  or  the  govern- 
ment service  who  had  attended  Christian  worship 
were  in  like  manner  reduced  to  the  lowest  grade. 

As  to  the  queen's  own  son,  the  prime  minister 
had  remonstrated  with  her,  declaring  him  to  be  a 
Christian.  "  We  are  lost,"  he  said,  "  if  your  Ma- 
jesty does  not  arrest  the  prince's  course."  But  the 
queen  was  immovable :  "  He  is  my  son,  my  only 
son,  my  beloved  son.  Let  him  do  what  he  pleases. 
If  he  wishes  to  be  a  Christian,  let  him.  He  is  my 
beloved  son."  Thus  Providence  made  use  of  the 
unreasoning  indulgence  of  the  mother  to  save  a 
life  of  such  value  to  the  cause  as  the  prince's. 

The  publication  of  the  sentence  was  followed  bv 
the  firing  of  cannon  and  the  beating  of  drums,  but 
neither  sentence  nor  noise  could  destroy  the  com- 
posure of  the  Christians.  They  replied  to  the 
drums  and  cannon  by  singing  a  hymn  of  heaven. 

The  nobles  were  taken  under  guard  to  Faravohi- 
9 


130 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


tra,  the  highest  spot  in  the  neighborhood.  As 
they  were  carried  along  they  sang  of  "  Going  home 
to  God,"  a  simple  but  expressive  and  suitable 
native  hymn  full  of  confidence  in  a  blessed  immor- 
tality. They  continued  singing  till  they  reached 
the  spot,  where  they  were  fastened  to  stakes 
planted  in  a  large  pile  of  firewood.  The  fire  was 
kindled,  and  as  the  flames  arose  their  prayers  and 
praises  were  continued.  Eepeating  the  words  of 
Stephen,  they  said,  "Lord  Jesus,  receive  our  spirits. 
Lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge."  At  this  moment 
the  rain  began  to  fall,  the  flames  were  extinguished 
and  a  rainbow  of  immense  size,  forming  a  triple 
arch,  stretched  across  the  heavens.  To  the  specta- 
tors one  end  of  the  arch  seemed  to  rest  on  the  posts 
to  which  the  martyrs  were  tied.  Once,  at  least, 
the  flames  had  to  be  rekindled.  The  multitude 
were  struck  with  terror  and  amazement;  many 
fled,  but  according  to  the  testimony  of  those  who 
remained,  the  sufferers  were  finally  burned  up,  hav- 
ing continued  to  pray  as  long  as  they  lived.  Their 
death  was  described  by  the  natives  as  so  soft  and 
gentle  that  all  who  witnessed  it  were  astonished. 

The  remaining  fourteen  prisoners  were  then  con- 
ducted through  the  deeply  agitated  crowds  to  the 
precipice  near  the  palace,  called  Ampamarinana, 


THE  RAINBOW  OVER  THE  FLAMES.  131 


Still  bound  at  the  ankles  and  wrists,  they  were 
hurled  over  the  curved  edge  of  the  rock,  whence 
they  fell  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  then  striking  on  a  pro- 
jecting ledge,  they  bounded  off  through  nearly  a 
hundred  feet  of  clear  space  and  struck  upon  the 
jagged  and  broken  fragments  of  the  granite  rocks 
below.  One  of  the  victims  was  heard  singing  a 
hymn  in  the  terrible  descent  to  death. 

Ranivo,  the  young  woman  already  spoken  of, 
was  kept  to  the  last.  Stationed  at  a  spot  where  the 
whole  fearful  scene  was  in  view,  it  was  hoped  that 
she  would  be  terrified  at  the  prospect  of  such  a 
horrible  fate,  and  would  at  last  save  her  life  by 
denying  her  former  professions.  She  was  led  by 
the  executioner  to  look  over  the  fearful  edge  and 
behold  the  awful  spectacle  of  the  mangled  bodies  of 
her  friends  below.  Her  relatives  entreated  her  to 
take  the  oath  and  save  her  life.  It  was  in  vain. 
She  begged  that  she  might  follow  her  friends,  as 
she  could  not  do  otherwise  than  they.  Her  life 
was,  in  fact,  spared,  though  she  would  not  yield  an 
inch,  and  she  remained  faithful  during  the  whole 
of  her  after  life. 

The  next  day  the  fines  imposed  on  many  were 
lowered  one  half,  but  even  then  they  were  enough 
to  reduce  many  to  abject  poverty.    The  mass  of  the 


132         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


people  were  required  to  take  the  oath,  and  were 
then  dismissed  to  their  homes. 

Prince  E-amonja  was  put  at  hard  labor,  and  in- 
stead of  his  former  comfortable  clothing  was  re- 
stricted to  a  light  thin  garment,  little  more  than  a 
waistband  or  girdle,  and  with  only  this  covering 
was  often  appointed  to  night-duty  in  cold  weather. 
His  cousin.  Prince  Pakatond  often  visited  him, 
and  wept  at  the  sight  of  his  sufferings  and  sent 
him  food  from  his  own  kitchen.  Ramonja  never 
recovered  from  this  treatment,  but  was  an  invalid 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  as  a  consequence.  Noth- 
ing, however,  changed  his  friendship  for  the  Chris- 
tians or  altered  his  fearless  adherence  to  his  prin- 
ciples. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CHANGES  AT  COURT.— MR.  ELLIS'  VISITS. 

BOUT  this  time  the  enemies  of  Christian- 
ity were  strengthened  by  the  active  inter- 
ference of  a  nephew  of  the  queen,  who 
before  the  birth  of  her  son  had,  in  the 
absence  of  any  nearer  heir,  been  named  at  her  coro- 
nation as  her  successor  to  the  throne.  After  the 
son  was  born  and  as  he  grew  up,  Raraboasalaraa, 
his  cousin,  never  renounced  his  hopes  of  becoming 
king,  and  regarded  Prince  Rakatond  with  jealousy 
as  his  rival.  When  the  prince  showed  his  decided 
leanings  toward  the  Christians,  Ramboasalaraa  be- 
came naturally  more  determined  and  violent,  and 
took  the  side  of  the  idolaters.  It  was  due  in  part 
to  his  influence  at  court  that  the  severe  measures 
just  recited  were  taken. 

!Many  of  the  Christians  were  compelled  to  work 
in  granite  quarries  as  convicts  under  heathen  task- 
masters.   Some  were  compelled  to  drag  heavy  tim- 

133 


134         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


her  from  the  forests,  the  severest  labor  known  in 
the  island.  One  of  the  number  some  years  after,  in 
an  interview  with  Mr.  Ellis,  removed  his  garment 
and  showed  the  large  scars  from  the  deep  wounds 
made  on  his  shoulders  by  the  heavy,  rough  stones 
he  and  his  companions  were  obliged  to  carry. 
They  were  not  allowed  to  have  the  shelter,  food 
and  clothing  which  their  means  would  otherwise 
allow.  Their  heavy  labors  were  prolonged  after 
the  time  of  sentence  had  expired.  Some  of  these 
men  who  were  now  thrust  into  these  degraded  posi- 
tions had  been  officers  of  the  government. 

In  1852,  Ramboasalama  and  his  party  proposed  a, 
formal  renewal  of  the  sentences  already  unrighte- 
ously protracted.  The  new  commander-in-chief  of 
the  army  now,  however,  interfered  in  behalf  of  the 
followers  of  Jesus.  He  plead  that  they  had  already 
suffered  twice  over  the  punishment  assigned  to  them. 
"  Why  should  they  be  sentenced  again  ?  The  thun- 
der does  not  strike  twice." 

The  plea  prevailed,  and  the  oppressions  ceased. 
The  faithful  prince  Ramonja  too  had  his  reward. 
He  came  back  to  his  place  in  the  palace,  and  to 
that  in  the  prayer-meeting  also.  He  spoke  without 
fear  to  the  queen  and  his  own  relations  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ. 


CHANGES  AT  COURT. 


135 


At  the  same  time  the  queen's  persistent  oppo- 
sition to  Christianity  was  manifested  in  many  ways. 
At  every  military  parade  orders  of  the  queen  were 
read,  requiring  from  officers  and  men  the  utmost 
diligence  in  searching  and  spying  out  any  who 
might  be  engaged  in  reading  or  worship.  Meet- 
ings in  the  capital  had  to  be  secret,  and  chains 
were  still  worn  by  some  who  had  been  sentenced 
to  this  condition  for  life,  though  their  chains  were 
considerably  lightened.  Affecting  indeed  was  the 
presence  at  these  secret  midnight  meetings  of  the 
condemned  Christians,  who  had  stolen  cautiously 
from  their  places  of  concealment,  and  who  joined 
in  worship,  still  wearing  their  chains. 

The  influence  of  the  princes  Rakatond  and  Ra- 
monja  was  still  felt,  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of 
Ramboasalama,  in  protecting  the  Christians.  Both 
these  princes  spent  large  sums  of  money  in  sending 
them  relief.  A  number  of  Christians  having  been 
captured,  Rakatond  went  in  person  to  the  place  of 
their  confinement,  set  them  free  and  told  the 
keeper  if  called  to  account  for  their  absence  to 
say  that  he  had  released  them. 

In  the  remote  districts  the  disciples  enjoyed  com- 
parative freedom.  The  work  of  conversion  went 
forward,  and  the  believers  numbered  thousands. 


136         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

Secret  meetings  were  held  in  seven  places  in  the 
capital  itself,  where  a  church  of  sixty-eight  mem- 
bers united  in  monthly  celebration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.  In  fact,  this  whole  period  of  persecution 
was  brought  to  a  close  by  the  death  of  Rainiharo, 
one  of  the  ministers  who  had  placed  Ranavalona 
on  the  throne,  and  had  supported  her  persecuting 
policy  with  all  his  power.  His  son,  altogether  a 
different  person,  who  had  attached  himself  to 
Prince  Rakatond,  came  into  his  father's  place. 

The  prince  himself  was  now  formally  aSvSociated 
with  his  mother  in  the  government.  The  rumor 
which  reached  England  in  January,  1853,  that  the 
government  had  been  committed  to  the  prince,  or 
that  the  queen  desired  to  see  her  son  established  on 
the  throne  during  her  lifetime,  and  that  arrange- 
ments were  in  progress  for  her  early  abdication  in 
his  favor,  was  indeed  incorrect;  he  had  been  made 
secretary  of  state  and  one  of  the  officers  of  the 
palace,  and  the  duty  of  authorizing  the  publication 
of  the  royal  orders  was  assigned  to  him. 

The  reports  which  reached,  England,  together 
with  the  information  that  the  government  was  de- 
sirous of  resuming  friendly  relations  with  England, 
A^hich  had  for  some  time  been  interrupted,  decided 
the  London  Missionary  So'^ety,  which  had  planted 


VISIT  OF  MR.  ELLIS. 


137 


the  gospel  in  the  island,  to  send  a  delegation  in 
order  to  prepare  the  way  for  re-establishing  the 
mission,  broken  up  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  be- 
fore. The  deputation,  composed  of  the  veteran 
Rev.  William  Ellis  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cameron, 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  coast,  but  were  not  al- 
lowed to  visit  the  capital.  A  second  visit,  made  in 
June  of  the  next  year,  was  not  more  successful,  on 
account  of  the  prevalence  of  cholera  in  Mauritius, 
from  which  island  the  deputation  had  come. 

During  these  visits  to  the  coast,  Mr.  Ellis  had 
frequent  opportunities  of  conversing  with  native 
Christians,  all  of  whom,  however,  were  under  more 
or  less  constraint  and  fear.  Coming  between  nine 
and  ten  o'clock  at  night  to  his  house,  they  would 
set  a  watch  at  the  gate  in  order  to  prevent  surprise. 
The  whole  result  of  impressions  left  on  his  mind 
by  these  interviews,  and  from  other  means  of  infor- 
mation, was  in  the  highest  degree  favorable  to  the 
piety,  attainments  and  faithfulness  of  these  much- 
enduring  Christians  of  Madagascar. 

Shut  out  in  the  early  stages  of  their  religious 
history  from  the  sympathy  and  guidance  of  Chris- 
tendom, and  fiercely  and  murderously  persecuted 
by  their  own  government,  their  most  urgent  want 
wa?  for  the  word  of  Gml,  and  the  prospect  which 


138         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

Mr.  Ellis  could  hold  out  of  an  early  and  ample 
supply  filled  them  with  unutterable  joy.  The 
knowledge  of  the  gospel  had  been  spread  to  remote 
parts  of  the  island.  The  evidences  of  true  piety 
were  manifest  not  only  in  the  brotherly  affec- 
tion with  which  they  aided  and  protected  each 
other  at  every  personal  risk  during  the  persecu- 
tions, but  by  the  absence  of  all  feelings  of  viudic- 
tiveness  or  revenge  toward  their  enemies. 

The  condition  of  the  island  at  this  time  was  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Ellis  as  divided  between  two  great 
and  nearly  equal  parties.  One  was  favorable  to 
education,  improvement  and  Christianity,  and  the 
other  opposed  to  all  innovation  and  determined  to 
uphold  the  superstitions  and  ancient  customs  of  the 
country.  At  the  head  of  the  former  party  was 
Prince  Rakatond  and  others,  holding  the  highest 
offices  under  government.  At  the  head  of  the 
other  was  the  heathen  cousin  and  rival  of  the 
prince,  Ramboasalama,  described  as  a  shrewd, 
ambitious,  daring  man,  of  considerable  business 
talent  and  large  property,  with  whom  were  leagued 
the  patrons  and  supporters  of  idolatry,  the  classes 
which  got  their  living  by  idol  worship,  priests, 
idol-keepers,  diviners,  preparers  of  the  tangena; 
also  the  supporters  of  slavery  and  forced  labor. 


CHANGES  AT  COURT. 


139 


In  short,  it  was  a  party  depending  for  its  strength 
upon  the  continuance  of  heathenism  and  upon  the 
power  of  all  the  baser  passions  of  the  human 
heart. 

No  pains  were  spared  by  the  chief  of  this  party 
to  keep  the  prince  from  gaining  a  permanent  stand- 
ing in  the  government.  They  represented  him  to 
the  queen  as  ignorant  of  government,  and  as  be- 
witched by  the  Christians.  It  was  believed  that 
the  queen  herself  shared  this  latter  opinion,  and 
had  expressed  herself  as  indignant  that  the  Chris- 
tians had  taken  advantage  of  his  youth  and  inex- 
perience to  draw  him  over  to  their  party.  But 
when  a  formidable  conspiracy  was  discovered 
against  his  life,  the  queen  took  the  strictest  mea- 
sures to  guard  him  from  danger.  There  seems 
reason  to  believe  that  just  before  Mr.  Ellis  left 
the  island,  in  1854,  she  had  seriously  contemplated 
retiring  from  the  government,  and  was  making 
preparations  to  crown  her  son  sole  ruler  of  the 
country.  It  was  also  said  that  at  this  time  the 
only  person  who  dared  to  bring  accusations  against 
the  Christians  was  the  rival  cousin  of  the  prince, 
all  others  being  afraid  that  the  prince  would  re- 
member it  agains  them  when  he  came  into  power. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

MR.  ELLIS'  THIRD  VISIT.— CHARACTER  OF  THE 
NATIVE  CHRISTIANS. 

T  length,  in  1856,  on  a  third  visit,  Mr.  El- 
lis succeeded  in  reaching  the  capital  of  the 
island.  Leaving  London  in  March,  he 
reached  Tamatave  on  the  twelfth  of  July. 
There  a  message  of  welcome  awaited  him  from  the 
prince  royal  and  from  Prince  Ramonja,  and  all 
necessary  facilities  for  his  journey  were  furnished 
by  the  government.  But  though  he  found  Chris- 
tians everywhere,  and  though  he  was  treated  with 
the  utmost  respect  by  the  queen's  government  and 
with  unbounded  affection  by  the  Christians,  and 
though  of  open  persecution  there  was  none,  it  was 
necessary  to  use  the  greatest  caution  in  meeting 
with  or  recognizing  the  Christians.  Mr.  Ellis 
himself  was  the  object  of  suspicions  and  rumors, 
making  it  necessary  for  him  to  be  very  guarded  in 
hi  movements  and  intercourse. 

HO 


ME.  ELLIS'  THIRD  VISIT. 


141 


It  was  said  that  the  object  of  his  visit  was  to 
stir  up  the  people  to  a  rebellious  opposition^  to  the 
government  in  the  practice  of  their  religion,  and 
that  his  visit  would  cause  more  of  the  queen's  sub- 
jects to  be  put  to  death.  It  was  reported  that 
Ramboasalama  had  placed  spies  in  the  daytime 
about  the  missionary's  dwelling,  so  that  many  were 
hindered  from  visiting  him,  and  many  more  would 
have  been  but  for  the  medical  skill  which  he  pos- 
sessed, and  in  applying  for  which  many,  both 
Christian  and  heathen,  were  brought  into  commu- 
nication with  him. 

In  all  important  particulars  it  was  found  that 
the  Christians  of  Madagascar  lived  and  acted  just 
as  true  Christians  everywhere  have  done.  Their 
inward  experience  showed  the  same  faith  and  love 
and  hope;  they  felt  the  same  burden  and  waged 
the  same  conflict  with  sin.  They  tried  to  live  the 
same  spiritual  lives.  They  burned  with  the  same 
compassion  for  perishing  souls  and  with  the  same 
zeal  for  the  extension  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
over  the  world.  Family  worship  was  practiced, 
secret  daily  prayer  was  universal.  They  prized 
and  sought  for  the  Scriptures.  The  most  com- 
mon accusation  made  against  them  by  their  ene- 
mies was  that  of  praying.    Their  weekly  meetings 


142        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

for  worship,  as  we  know,  were  kept  up  at  every 
risk  and  inconvenience. 

The  character  and  outward  conduct  of  these 
Christians  may  be  known  from  the  testimony  of 
the  persecutors  themselves.  The  heathen  judges 
called  to  sentence  them  declared  that  no  charge 
could  be  sustained  against  them,  except  on  the 
ground  of  their  religion.  "  What  is  my  crime?" 
said  a  Christian  to  the  officer  who  had  seized  him 
and  was  carrying  him  to  prison.  "I  am  not  a 
traitor,  I  am  not  a  murderer.  I  have  wronged  no 
one."  The  officer  replied,  "It  is  not  for  any  of 
these  things  that  I  must  take  you,  but  for  pray- 
ing." In  fact,  one  of  the  earliest  causes  of  bitter 
hostility  against  them  was  their  forsaking  and  re- 
sisting the  vices  and  immoralities  of  the  population 
generally.  The  whole  fabric  of  social  life  was 
elevated  and  purified  amongst  the  Christian  fami- 
lies, who  became  shining  examples  to  the  heathen 
community  of  the  blessedness  of  domestic  piety. 

One  of  the  first  effi)rts  of  an  uneducated  Chris- 
tian was  to  learn  to  read,  and  the  children  of  all 
Christian  parents  were  taught  to  read  and  many  to 
write,  so  that  education  and  learning  went  hand  in 
hand  with  the  spread  of  Christianity. 

Banded  together  in  mutual  love,  sustaining  and 


ME.  ELLIS'  THIRD  VISIT. 


143 


protecting  each  other  in  all  their  trials  to  the  utmost 
of  their  ability,  these  Christians  had  formed,  with- 
out hints  or  guidance  from  others,  an  organization 
for  mutual  guidance  and  edification — in  fact,  a 
church,  which  Mr.  Ellis  describes  as  according  to 
the  plain  and  simple  model  propounded  in  the 
Scriptures.  The  martyr  church  of  Madagascar, 
originated  by  its  own  members,  was  a  New-Testa- 
ment Church,  and  was  therefore  prepared  to  frater- 
nize in  form  as  well  as  in  spirit  with  the  evangel- 
ical portion  of  Christendom.  It  was  not  strange, 
therefore,  that  the  French  priests  who  visited  the 
capital  with  offers  of  French  aid  to  the  Christians, 
about  the  time  of  Mr.  Ellis'  visit,  made  no  percep- 
tible impression. 


CHAPTER  X  IV. 


ROW  THE  FOURTH  PERSECUTION  AROSE. 

NEW  persecution,  the  fourth  and  last  ex- 
perienced by  the  Christians,  was  hastened  if 
not  provoked  by  the  attempts  of  a  French- 
man named  Mr.  Lambert  to  bring  about 
a  violent  change  in  the  government  by  depos- 
ing the  queen.  Mr.  Lambert,  who  was  doubtless 
actuated  by  the  kindest  motives,  attempted  first 
to  get  the  English  and  French  governments  to 
intervene  on  behalf  of  the  suffering  Christians, 
and  to  use  force  if  necessary  against  the  govern- 
ment of  Ranavalona.  Madame  Pfeiffer,  who  en- 
tered into  Mr.  Lambert's  plans  with  enthusiasm, 
relates  that  he  had  a  private  interview  with  the 
emperor  Louis  Napoleon,  acquainted  him  with  the 
boundless  misery  of  the  people  of  Madagascar,  and 
tried  to  induce  him  to  come  to  the  assistance  of 
the  unhappy  country.  The  interview,  however, 
lu 


RISE  OF  THE  FOURTH  PERSECUTION.  145 


was  in  vain,  as  was  also  the  attempt  to  interest  the 
English  prime  minister,  Lord  Clarendon. 

According  to  Madame  Pfeiffer,  Mr.  Lambert 
secured  the  co-operation  of  Prince  Rakatond  in 
his  plan  to  revolutionize  the  government  by  native 
aid  alone.  A  portion  of  the  nobility  and  soldiers 
were  also  represented  as  favorable  to  the  plot, 
which  did  not  aim  at  any  personal  harm  to  the 
queen,  but  only  her  removal  from  the  throne,  leav- 
ing her  all  the  freedom,  wealth  and  honor  which 
were  her  due.  The  twentieth  of  June,  1857,  was 
the  time  fixed  for  carrying  out  the  conspiracy.  The 
conspirators,  with  Mr.  Lambert  at  their  head,  were 
to  assemble  in  the  evening.  The  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  army  was  to  keep  open  the  palace 
gates  and  officers  devoted  to  Prince  Rakatond  were 
to  be  on  guard.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning 
the  conspirators  were  to  enter  the  gates,  assemble 
in  the  courtyard  in  front  of  the  queen's  apart- 
ments, and  at  a  given  signal  loudly  to  proclaim 
Prince  Rakatond  king  of  Madagascar.  The  new 
minister,  who  had  been  previously  nominated  by 
the  prince,  would  then  declare  to  the  queen  that 
the  change  was  in  accordance  with  the  will  of  the 
nobles,  the  military  and  the  people;  cannon  woulc- 

be  fired  from  the  palace,  and  the  people  would  be 

11) 


146 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


assured  of  their  deliverance  from  the  sanguinary 
rule  of  Queen  Ranavalona. 

But  while  the  chief  conspirators  were  still  at  the 
table,  at  their  late  dinner,  the  commander-in-chief 
sent  them  word  that  in  consequence  of  unforeseen 
obstacles  he  had  found  it  impossible  to  fill  the  pal- 
ace exclusively  with  the  prince's  officers,  that  he 
would  consequently  be  unable  to  keep  the  gates 
open  to-night,  and  that  they  must  wait  for  a  more 
favorable  opportunity. 

That  opportunity  did  not  come;  probably  the 
commander-in-chief  himself  did  not  care  to  have 
it  come.  The  prince,  who  never  ceased  to  love  and 
revere  his  mother,  wicked  as  she  was,  and  who 
therefore  was  never  very  zealous  for  her  degrada- 
tion, withdrew,  with  all  his  associates,  from  the  plot. 
The  Christian  population  generally,  although  most 
deeply  interested  in  the  overthrow  of  the  persecut- 
ing queen,  knew  nothing  of  the  aifair.  What 
would  have  been  the  result  if  they  had  been  gene- 
rally enlisted,  and  what  course  they  should  have 
been  counseled  to  take  in  a  movement  which,  if 
successful,  seemed  so  likely  to  prove  of  the  highest 
benefit  to  the  country,  may  be  matter  of  dispute. 
Mr.  Ellis  and  the  society  which  sent  him  to  Mada- 
gascar, and  Protestants  generally,  had  reason  to  fear 


RISE  OF  THE  FOURTH  PERSECUTION.  147 


the  French  agencies  that  were  mixed  up  with  the 
plot.  Even  if  Ranavalona  were  deposed,  and  all 
heathen  persecution  done  away,  and  if  Prince 
Rakatond  with  the  purest  intentions  should  occupy 
a  throne  which  he  owed  largely  to  the  interpo- 
sition of  French  Catholics,  there  was  no  telling 
what  serious  hindrances  might  in  time  be  thrown 
in  the  way  of  the  missionary  labors  among  the 
people. 

Accordingly,  Mr.  Ellis  gave  discouraging  replies 
to  those  who  consulted  him  during  his  visit  upon 
Mr.  Lambert's  proposals  of  revolt.  He  counseled 
endurance  and  submission.  In  the  course  of 
nature  the  queen's  rule  could  not  last  much 
longer;  and  if  the  prince  royal  were  raised  to  the 
throne,  their  religious  liberty  would  be  assured 
without  indebtedness  to  any  foreign  aid.  He  ex- 
liorted  them  to  continue,  so  long  as  God  should 
allow  them  to  be  persecuted,  to  bear  their  affliction 
as  they  had  hitherto  so  nobly  done,  to  give  their 
enemies  no  cause  to  question  their  loyalty  which 
they  had  maintained  so  long,  and  neither  to  listen 
to  any  proposals  nor  become  parties  to  any  attempt 
to  depose  the  queen  by  force,  or  to  place  the  coun-r 
try  under  the  protection  of  the  French. 

At  all  events,  the  Christians,  as  such,  had  no  hand 


148         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


in  the  plot,  which  was  a  complete  failure,  and  which 
now  became  known  to  every  one.  The  queen  could 
scarcely  have  been  ignorant  of  it,  although  she 
acted  toward  the  conspirators  in  the  same  friendly 
manner  as  before,  and  even  invited  Mr.  Lambert 
to  the  palace.  As  to  her  son,  whom  she  could  not 
but  suspect,  she  gave  out,  with  a  singular  mixture 
of  affection  and  cunning,  that  no  one  should  ven- 
ture to  accuse  him  or  to  hint  a  suspicion  of  his 
guilt  to  her  upon  pain  of  death. 

But  the  fact  that  the  Christians,  as  such,  had  no 
hand  in  the  conspiracy  did  not  save  them  from 
suffering  the  wrath  of  the  queen,  which  soon  broke 
out.  A  traitor  among  the  Christians,  an  inferior 
chief  named  Ratsimandisa,  who  had  professed  con- 
version, and  who  afterward  declared  that  it  was 
only  for  the  purpose  of  getting  a  knowledge  of  the 
Christians  and  giving  the  queen  a  better  oppor- 
tunity of  annihilating  them,  made  out  a  list  of 
seventy,  whom  he  charged  with  being  concerned  in 
the  plot.  This  list  he  gave  to  one  of  the  ministers, 
who  turned  out  to  be  one  of  Prince  Rakatond's 
most  faithful  friends.  It  soon  got  into  the  prince's 
hands,  who  had  no  sooner  read  it  than  he  tore  it  in 
pieces. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


THE  LAST  PERSECUTION.— BANISHMENT  OF 
EUROPEANS. 

^HE  princess  action  certainly  saved  the  lives 
of  many  Christians,  giving  them  opportunity 
to  escape.  But  some  victims  the  queen  must 
have.  On  the  third  of  July  sorrow  and 
fear  spread  all  over  the  city  at  the  announcement 
of  a  kabar  to  be  held  that  morning  in  the  market- 
place of  the  capital.  Knowing  too  well  from  past 
experience  that  such  an  announcement  signified 
persecution,  torture  and  sentence  of  death,  the  peo- 
ple ran  howling  and  wailing  through  the  streets  as 
if  the  town  had  been  attacked  by  a  hastile  army. 
All  the  entrances  were  guarded  by  the  troops,  and 
the  inhabitants  were  torn  by  force  from  their  houses 
and  driven  to  the  market-place. 

The  mass  of  the  inhabitants,  assembled  in  the 
open  square,  waited  with  trembling  and  fear  to 
hear  the  royal  will,  which  one  of  the  officials 
announced  with  a  loud  voice,  as  follows : 

149 


150       THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

The  queen,  said  the  officer,  had  long  suspected 
tliat  there  were  many  Christians  among  her  people. 
Within  the  last  few  days  she  had  become  certain 
of  the  fact,  and  had  heard  with  horror  that  several 
thousands  of  this  sect  dwelt  in  and  around  the 
capital.  Every  one  knew  how  much  she  hated 
and  detested  this  sect,  and  how  strictly  she  had 
forbidden  the  practice  of  their  religion.  As  her 
commands  were  so  little  regarded,  she  should  use 
every  effort  to  punish  the  guilty,  and  should  pun- 
ish them  with  the  greatest  severity.  Fifteen  days 
were  given  in  which  those  who  wished  to  get  off 
with  their  lives  might  denounce  themselves,  but 
all  who  were  denounced  by  others  might  be  pre- 
pared to  die  a  terrible  death.  Very  few  persons 
regarded  the  queen's  command.  Little  or  nothing 
would  be  gained  by  such  self-betrayal.  A  rigid 
search  was  made  of  the  houses  of  those  suspected 
of  Christianity.  Letters  of  encouragement  written 
by  a  missionary  at  Tamatave  unfortunately  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  government  and  gave  the 
clue  for  the  seizure  of  some,  who  were  tortured  in 
the  vain  effort  to  extort  from  them  the  names  of 
their  associates.  Troops  were  sent  to  the  surround- 
ing villages,  and  all  who  harbored  or  helped  the 
Christians  were  threatened  with  death,  while  re- 


THE  LAST  PERSECUTION. 


151 


wards  were  promised  to  those  who  aided  in  cap- 
turing them.  Search  was  made  in  every  direction. 
Every  house  was  entered,  and  every  one  suspected, 
man,  woman  or  child,  was  seized  and  dragged  to 
prison. 

Yet  the  number  of  captives  was  not  great.  It 
was  calculated  that  in  four  days  after  the  kabar 
those  who  had  been  denounced,  and  who  had  act- 
ually been  captured,  did  not  make  a  total  of  three 
hundred  persons.  So  numerous  were  the  fugitives 
that  they  would  turn  on  the  small  detachments  of 
the  soldiers  employed  in  the  search  and  actually  put 
them  to  flight. 

In  the  mean  time,  Mr.  Lambert  and  some  others 
of  the  conspirators  continued  to  cherish  their  plan 
of  dethroning  the  queen,  and  so  putting  a  full  stop 
to  her  barbarities.  But  the  prince  was  now  kept 
a  close  prisoner  in  the  palace  with  his  mother,  and 
every  one  was  forbidden  to  enter  the  house  occu- 
pied by  the  Europeans,  who  now  had  reason  to  feel 
their  situation  to  be  critical,  Madame  Pfeiffer  be- 
longed to  the  party,  and  shared  in  their  dangers, 
but  not  at  all  in  theii  hope  of  overthrowing  the 
queen's  government.  The  palace  guard  was  trebled, 
and  none  were  admitted  of  whose  loyalty  the  queen 
had  the  least  doubt. 


152 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


As  few  prisoners  were  captured,  the  rage  of  the 
queen  increased.  In  her  fury  she  declared  that  the 
bowels  of  the  earth  must  be  searched,  and  the  riv- 
ers and  lakes  dragged  with  nets,  so  that  not  one  of 
the  traitors  should  escape  his  just  punishment.  But 
the  more  she  raved,  the  more  cool-headed  and 
cautious  were  the  Christians.  A  whole  village  to 
which  the  soldiers  were  despatched  migrated  in  a 
body,  so  that  when  the  soldiers  arrived  they  found 
nothing  but  empty  huts. 

After  a  week,  an  the  ninth  of  July,  another 
kabar  or  assembly  was  summoned,  at  which  the 
queen  announced  that  all  who  helj^ed  the  Chris- 
tians in  their  flight,  or  who  did  not  stop  them  on 
the  way,  should  suffer  the  punishment  of  death, 
and  promised  her  special  favor  to  those  who  deliv- 
ered them  to  the  authorities  or  hindered  them  in 
their  flight.  If  such  persons  hereafter  were  guilty 
of  any  crime,  they  would  either  be  pardoned  or 
their  punishment  be  made  much  lighter  for  their 
services.  Such  are  the  weapons  with  which  the 
kingdom  of  holiness  and  truth  is  assailed  in  this 
world. 

On  the  same  day  a  detachment  of  fifteen  hun- 
dred soldiers  was  sent  to  the  region  of  the  Seklaves, 
who  consider  themselves  an  independent  tribe,  with 


THE  LAST  PERSECUTION. 


153 


instructions  to  root  out  a  Roman  Catholic  mission 
which  it  appears  had  gained  foothold  there.  The 
five  priests  who  carried  on  the  mission  were  to  be 
captured  and  put  to  death.  Prince  Rakatond,  how- 
ever, managed  to  send  off  a  messenger  in  advance 
of  the  troops,  so  that  time  was  given  for  all  to 
escape. 

On  the  tenth  of  July  an  old  woman  was  de- 
nounced to  the  authorities  as  a  Christian.  She 
was  seized  immediately,  and  barbarously  put  to 
death  the  next  morning.  Six  Christians  were 
concealed  in  a  hut  in  a  village  near  the  capital. 
The  soldiers,  after  a  fruitless  search,  were  about 
leaving  the  hut  when  one  of  them  heard  a  cough. 
The  search  was  renewed,  and  soon,  in  a  great  hole 
dug  in  the  earth  and  covered  over  with  straw,  the 
poor  victims  were  discovered.  The  inhabitants  of 
the  village,  who  had  suffered  them  to  remain  un- 
molested instead  of  betraying  them  according  to 
the  queen's  express  orders,  were  bound  and  dragged 
to  the  capital.  Through  the  friendly  intervention 
of  high  officials,  probably  Christians  themselves, 
by  far  the  greater  number  of  them  made^  a  speedy 
escape. 

Meantime,  the  proper  disposal  to  be  made  of 
Mr.  Lambert  and  the  other  Europeans  now  in  the 


154         THE  STORY  OF  MAD.MASCAR, 

capital  who  were  concerned  in  the  intended  revo- 
lution was  under  lively  discussion  in  the  palace  of 
the  queen.  If  her  natural  passion  for  human 
blood  needed  any  stimulus,  she  had  it  in  the  grave 
offence  which  had  been  plotted  against  her  author- 
ity. The  six  Europeans,  including  Madame  Pfeif- 
fer,  kept  close  prisoners  in  their  houses,  were  in  no 
little  disquietude  about  their  liberty  and  their  lives. 
It  was  unanimously  resolved  that  the  whole  com- 
pany deserved  death,  and  the  mode  of  punishment 
was  under  discussion,  but  Prince  Rakatond  remon- 
strated with  the  greatest  energy  against  such  a  sen- 
tence, and  warned  the  queen  of  the  vengeance  she 
would  bring  upon  herself  from  the  European 
powers. 

On  the  seventeenth  of  July,  after  thirteen  days' 
confinement,  the  whole  party,  including  Madame 
Pfeiffer,  received  an  abrupt  summons  to  attend  a 
kabar  in  the  courtyard.  On  obeying  the  sum- 
mons they  found  more  than  a  hundred  persons, 
nobles,  judges  and  officers,  sitting  in  a  large  half 
circle  on  benches,  chairs  or  the  ground;  behind 
them  stood  a  number  of  soldiers.  They  were 
made  to  sit  opposite  the  judges,  who  were  dressed 
in  long  robes  and  who  cast  dark  glances  on  the 
prisoners.     For  a  considerable  time  there  was 


THE  LAST  PERSECUTION. 


155 


silence.  Everything  was  ominous  of  evil.  At 
lengtL  one  of  the  ministers  or  judges  arose,  and  in 
sepulchral  tones  and  with  many  high-sounding  terms 
addressed  the  prisoners  to  the  following  effect : 

The  people  (the  queen's  name  being  kept  in  the 
background)  had  heard  that  this  party  of  foreign- 
ers were  republicans,  who  had  come  to  Madagas- 
car with  the  intention  of  establishing  that  form 
of  government  there;  that  they  meant  to  overturn 
the  throne  of  their  beloved  ruler,  to  give  the  peo- 
ple equal  rights  with  the  nobility  and  to  abolish 
slavery;  also  that  they  had  held  interviews  with 
the  Christians,  who  were  hateful  alike  to  the  queen 
and  the  people,  and  had  exhorted  them  to  hold 
fast  to  their  faith  and  to  expect  speedy  succor. 
These  treasonable  proceedings  had  so  exasperated 
the  people  against  the  party  that  the  queen  had 
been  compelled  to  treat  them  as  prisoners  in  order 
to  protect  them.  The  whole  population  of  the 
capital  was  clamoring  for  their  death.  This  was  no 
more  than  what  the  party  deserved,  but  the  queen 
had  never  yet  taken  the  life  of  a  white  person,  and 
in  the  exercise  of  her  magnanimity  she  would  sim- 
ply banish  them  from  her  territories.  Five  of 
them,  including  Mr.  Lambert  and  Madame  Pfeiffer, 
must  leave  in  an  hour;  the  sixth,  Mr.  Laborde, 


156         THE  STORY  Or'  MADAGASCAR. 


who  had  married  a  native  wife,  had  a  whole  day 
to  make  preparation.  Aid  would  be  furnished,  so 
far  as  necessary,  for  the  removal  of  all  their  port- 
able property.  Mr.  Laborde's  estates,  houses,  etc. 
would  be  confiscated. 

Glad  to  escape  with  their  lives,  they  made 
hasty  preparations  for  their  enforced  departure. 
But  as  the  bearers  to  be  furnished  by  the  govern- 
ment did  not  make  their  appearance  promptly, 
they  did  not  get  off  till  the  next  day. 

On  the  eighteenth  of  July  they  left  the  scene  of 
so  much  anxiety  to  themselves  and  of  such  fright- 
ful miseries  to  the  Christians.  That  very  morning 
ten  of  the  Christians  were  put  to  death.  During 
their  passage  to  the  market-place  the  soldiers  con- 
tinually thrust  at  them  with  their  spears,  and  when 
they  arrived  at  the  ground  they  were  nearly  stoned 
to  death  before  their  tormentors  finally  cut  off 
their  heads.  This  dreadful  scene  w^as  being  en- 
acted as  the  foreigners  were  passing  the  market- 
place, forming  a  harrowing  remembrance  of  their 
visit  to  the  island. 

The  Europeans  got  away  with  their  lives,  but 
they  seemed  likely  to  lose  them  before  reaching 
the  seaport  of  Tamatave.  The  journey  should 
have  taken  but  eight  days;   by  the  intentional 


THE  LAST  PERSECUTION, 


157 


delays  of  the  escort  it  was  extended  to  fifty-three. 
Mr.  Lambert  and  Madame  Pfeiffer  were  suffering 
from  malarious  fever,  from  the  effects  of  which  the 
latter  never  recovered.  It  was  very  dangerous  for 
them  to  stay  long  in  the  marshy  regions  through 
which  much  of  the  route  lay,  and  it  was  highly 
important  that  they  should  get  rest.  But  as  if 
with  the  intention  of  accomplishing  their  destruc- 
tion, the  soldiers  prolonged  their  stay  in  the  worst 
and  most  comfortless  places,  remaining  in  one  lit- 
tle squalid  village  surrounded  by  morastes  eighteen 
entire  days. 

The  Madagascar  fever  under  which  the  foreign- 
ers were  suffering  is  one  to  which  all  unacclimated 
persons  are  subject.  The  symptoms  are  most  dis- 
tressing, and  they  cling  with  extraordinary  tenacity 
to  the  system.  Violent  pains  are  felt  in  the  lower 
parts  of  the  body,  frequent  vomitings  follow,  with 
total  loss  of  appetite,  and  such  weakness  that  the 
sufferer  can  scarcely  lift  hand  or  foot.  At  last  a 
feeling  of  entire  apathy  comes  on,  from  which  the 
sick  person  cannot  rouse  himself  by  the  strongest 
effort  of  the  will,  but  lies  sunk  in  a  kind  of  trance, 
indifferent  to  what  is  going  on  around  him.  This 
apathy,  together  with  the  pains,  continue  to  plague 
the  patient  long  aftei  the  fever  has  left  him. 


158         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


Although  the  escort  met  with  a  French  physi- 
cian on  the  way  to  the  shore,  the  two  sufferers  -were 
not  allowed  to  see  or  to  consult  with  him  for  a 
moment.  The  huts  in  which  they  were  lodged 
were  generally  in  the  most  wretched  condition. 
Wind  and  rain  came  rushing  through  the  broken 
roof  and  the  decayed  walls,  of  which  at  the  best 
there  were  but  three,  leaving  one  side  entirely  open. 
Of  beds  and  covering  there  was  almost  none.  Ma- 
dame Pfeiffer  had  lost  all  the  warm  clothing  she 
had  by  thieves  on  j^he  first  day's  march,  and  during 
the  whole  fifty-three  days  she  never  changed  her 
clothes,  being  obliged  to  occupy  the  same  crowded 
room  with  the  rest  of  the  party.  On  the  twelfth 
of  September  the  sufferers  reached  the  coast  more 
dead  than  alive,  and  counting  it  almost  a  miracle 
that  in  their  feeble  state  they  had  escaped  with 
their  lives.  Happily,  they  were  detained  but  three 
days  in  Tamatave,  a  vessel  being  ready  to  sail  for 
Mauritius,  on  which  they  joyfully  took  passage. 

Madame  Pfeiffer,  as  already  intimated,  never 
recovered  from  the  effects  of  this  exposure.  She 
lingered  in  wretched  health  until  the  twenty-sev- 
enth of  October  of  the  following  year,  when  she 
died  in  Vienna. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


END  OF  THE  SUFFERINGS,  AND  OF  THEIR  AUTHOR. 

lURIXG  the  persecution  which  raged  at  this 
time  more  than  two  hundred  suffered  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  punishment,  most  of  them 
severe.  What  made  it  peculiarly  distress- 
ing was  the  fact  that  the  greater  number  of  those 
who  suffered  death  were  men  of  mark,  holding 
high  positions  among  the  Christians,  devoted,  pious, 
able  and  useful.  The  new  and  barbarous  punish- 
ment of  stoning  was  now  for  the  first  time  em- 
ployed. The  queen  hoped  that  this  exceedingly 
cruel  mode  of  death  would  terrify  the  people  into 
submission.  Fourteen  were  stoned  to  death  at  one 
place. 

Still  another  grievous  and  torturing  device  was 
that  of  chaining  a  company  of  Christians  together 
by  heavy  iron  fetters  around  the  neck.  Thus 
bound  together,  the  group  of  seven  or  more  were 
compelled  to  wear  away  their  lives.    If  one  died, 

159 


160         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

the  weight  of  his  chains  was  added  to  the  already 
heavy  burdens  of  tlie  others.  One  Christian  is 
mentioned  by  Mr.  Ellis  who  had  worn  fetters 
weighing  fifty-six  pounds  for  four  and  a  half 
years.  Of  fifty-seven  Christians  thus  chained  to- 
gether and  banished  to  a  distant  province,  more 
than  half  died  a  lingering,  agonizing  death  in 
their  chains. 

This  was  the  last  assault  of  the  enemy  upon  the 
Church  of  Christ  in  Madagascar.  Three  years 
afterward,  in  1860,  an  attempt  was  made  by  the 
governor  of  Mananjara,  a  port  on  tlie  southern 
coast,  to  rekindle  the  fires  of  persecution.  His 
intended  victims  were  two  eminent  Christian  offi- 
cers and  thirty  soldiers,  whom  he  accused  of  violat- 
ing the  laws  by  meeting  together  for  worship. 
Whether  out  of  a  mere  whim  or  from  prejudice 
against  the  accuser,  the  latter  was  compelled  to  take 
the  tangena  as  a  test  of  the  justice  of  his  accu- 
sation. The  result  was  that  the  accused  were 
declared  innocent  and  the  accuser  was  put  to 
death  in  place  of  the  Christians. 

Whatever  was  the  particular  purpose  of  the 
queen  in  this  act,  it  is  certain  that  no  further  at- 
tempts of  the  kind  were  made  during  the  remain- 
ing months  of  her  reign.    Her  cruel  disposition 


END  OF  THE  SUFFERINGS.  161 

was  unchanged  to  the  last,  but  her  health  began 
to  give  way,  and  her  declining  energy  may  fully 
account  for  the  change  in  her  policy  so  welcome 
to  her  Christian  subjects.  Some  of  the  sentences 
against  them  were  only  partially  executed,  and  a 
number  who  had  been  sold  into  slavery  regained 
their  freedom. 

But  the  reign  of  the  bloody  Ranavalona  was 
rapidly  drawing  to  a  close.  For  thirty-two  years, 
from  1829  to  1861,  she  was  permitted  to  sway  the 
destinies  of  this  people.  She  was  a  genuine  hea- 
then ruler,  who  did  her  best  to  crush  and  expel 
Christianity  from  the  region  under  her  control. 
Her  heathen  rage  and  her  rebellion  against  the 
Lord  and  against  his  anointed  were  persistent  and 
furious.  She  thirsted  for  her  Christian  subjects' 
blood.  She  filled  the  land  with  terror  and  mourn- 
ing. No  beneficent  acts,  no  efforts  for  the  good  of 
her  people,  no  endeavors  after  a  higher  civilization, 
marked  her  reign.  If  it  had  any  policy  at  all,  it 
was  that  of  perpetuating  the  heathen  customs  and 
religion  which  had  come  down  as  an  inheritance 
of  darkness,  cruelty  and  impurity  from  the  past. 

The  hardness  of  her  heart,  like  that  of  Pharaoh, 

had  its  important  uses  in  the  economy  of  God's 

kingdom.    It  was  the  grand  occasion  for  testing 
11 


162        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

the  sincerity  and  quality  of  the  Christian  principle 
which  had  sprung  up  from  the  teaching  of  the 
missionaries  in  the  heathen  soil  of  Madagascar. 
It  furnished  the  most  terrible  ordeal  through 
which  a  newly-planted  Christianity  has  passed  in 
our  day.  It  called  forth  a  heroic  and  victorious 
form  of  piety  such  as  the  favorable  attitude  of 
the  world  in  general  toward  Christianity  is  not 
adapted  to  produce.  From  the  tangena-bowl, 
from  the  rice-pits,  from  the  terrible  precipice,  from 
the  spear,  the  stoning,  the  burning  pile,  from 
dreary  wanderings  in  pathless  woods,  from  slavery 
and  crushing  toil,  came  the  almost  unvarying  wit- 
ness to  the  sublime  reality  and  power  of  the  new 
life-principle  implanted  in  the  hearts  of  these  poor 
islanders.  The  church  of  Madagascar,  in  all  its 
weakness,  was  so  mighty  through  the  rock  Christ 
Jesus  that  the  gates  of  hell  could  not  prevail 
against  it.  It  is  quite  without  a  parallel  in  the 
history  of  modern  missions  that  a  church  barely 
planted  in  heathen  soil  should  undergo  a  quarter 
of  a  century  of  persecution  from  the  constituted 
authorities  of  the  country,  cut  off  from  all  commu- 
nication and  sympathy  with  the  Christian  world, 
and  should  come  out  of  the  trial  not  only  with  its 
spirit  lal  life  in  full  vigor,  untarnished  by  heathen 


EXD  OF  THE  SUFFERINGS.  163 


admixture  or  conformities,  but  multiplied  several 
fold  in  numbers,  advanced  in  all  Christian  graces 
and  firmly  rooted  as  a  popular  faith  not  only 
among  the  masses,  but  among  nobles,  the  military, 
and  even  in  the  royal  family  itself. 

After  ten  thousand  persons  had  been  sentenced 
to  different  penalties  by  the  persecuting  queen,  it 
was  found  in  1861,  when  the  persecutions  ceased, 
that  the  Christian  population  had  increased  from 
two  hundred  to  a  thousand.  Moreover,  all  the 
community  had  learned  to  respect  the  name  of 
Christian  as  a  synonym  for  the  virtues  of  honesty, 
fidelity  and  trustworthiness — virtues  hitherto  scarce- 
ly known  to  have  existed  among  the  people.  The 
soundness  of  views  of  the  Madagascar  Christians 
is  shown  in  their  ascribing  the  astonishing  preser- 
vation and  growth  of  the  church  under  such  cir- 
cumstances to  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
their  hearts.  As  to  the  means  by  which  the  Spirit 
worked :  besides  preaching  and  praying,  reading 
the  Scriptures  and  the  conversation  of  Christians, 
they  spoke  of  an  indescribable  feeling  of  inter- 
est in  and  sympathy  with  the  Christians  among 
the  people  on  beholding  the  injustice  and  cruelty 
inflicted  upon  them,  and '  the  unprecedented  be- 


164 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


havior  of  the  Christians  in  praying  for  their 
persecutors  and  seeking  their  conversion. 

As  the  queen's  long  and  terrible  reign  drew  to  a 
close  the  hearts  of  the  people  seemed  to  fail  them, 
and  undefined  fears  took  possession  of  them  and 
of  their  queen.  Fires  were  said  to  be  seen  on  land 
and  voices  to  be  heard  in  the  sky  which  the  di- 
viners were  utterly  at  a  loss  to  interpret.  The  queen 
in  her  fears  turned  with  renewed  earnestness  to 
her  idols.  Her  healtli  now  began  to  fail.  She 
sought  more  healthy  localities  without  effect ; 
charms,  medicines,  diviners,  idols,  sought  far  and 
near  and  at  every  cost,  failed  to  revive  or  stay  her 
failing  life. 

The  prince,  her  son,  was  now  advised  not  to 
leave  the  palace.  Five  hundred  soldiers  were  kept 
constantly  in  the  palace  yard.  The  military  chiefs 
assembled  at  the  house  of  the  commander-in-chief. 
All  the  members  of  the  royal  family  were  gath- 
ered in  the  palace  limits  just  before  the  queen's 
death.  The  precaution  was  taken  in  like  manner 
to  surround  the  palaces  of  the  rival  prince  Ram- 
boasalama  and  his  heathen  adherents  with  troops. 
On  the  sixteenth  of  July,  1861,  the  queen  breathed 
her  last.  Additional  guards  were  placed  around 
the  palaces  of  the  rivals;  and  when  the  queen's 


END  OF  THE  SUFFERINGS.  165 


death  was  announced,  they  found  themselves  pris- 
oners, and  heard  the  loyal  soldiers  and  people 
shouting  the  name  of  Radama  as  the  new  king. 
Their  hopes  of  rebellion  being  thus  utterly  crushed, 
they  took  the  oath  of  allegiance,  and  Radama  II. 
was  crowned  king  of  Madagascar  on  the  follow- 
ing day.  And  the  sun  of  that  day  did  not  set  be- 
fore he  had  proclaimed  universal  toleration  and 
equal  protection  to  all  the  inhabitants  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  their  religious  convictions. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


THE  GREAT  DAT  OF  DELIVERANCE.—ARRIVAL  OF 
MR.  ELLIS. 

LL  the  devilish  enginery  of  Ranavalona 
against  the  gospel  was  swept  away  in  a 
moment.  Officers  were  sent  to  open  the 
prison  to  them  that  were  bound  and  to  pro- 
claim liberty  to  the  captives.  They  called  back 
the  remnant  of  those  who  had  been  condemned  to 
dwell  in  remote  and  pestilential  districts,  released 
others  from  the  crushing  weight  of  the  iron  fetters, 
and  set  free  those  who  had  been  sold  into  slavery. 
The  captive  exile  hastened  to  his  home;  men  and 
women  worn  and  wasted  came  back  to  the  city  and 
astonished  their  friends,  who  had  long  given  them 
up  as  dead.  Confiscated  property  was  restored  to 
the  former  owners.  The  jubilee  had  come.  Those 
who  were  not  believers,  but  who  had  sympathized 
with  the  Christians  in  their  difficulties,  now  rejoiced 
with  them  in  their  deliverance. 

166 


THE  DAY  OF  DELIVERANCE.  167 

The  idols  were  banished  from  the  king's  resi- 
dence. Radama  answered  the  boast  of  the  priests 
that  nothing  could  harm  them  by  sending  some 
Christians  to  set  fire  to  the  house  of  one  of  the 
national  gods,  and  he  and  his  companions  looked 
on  while  the  structure  was  totally  destroyed.  When 
asked  to  offer  a  bullock  to  secure  the  favor  of  an 
idol,  he  replied,  "  Jf  the  god  wants  an  ox,  let  him 
come  and  ask  me  for  one." 

The  dreadful  ordeal  of  the  tangena  for  all  and 
every  purpose  was  utterly  abolished,  and  it  was 
ordained  that  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  an  accusa- 
tion should  be  settled  by  evidence.  The  practice 
of  exposing  infants  born  on  unlucky  days  was 
abolished.  The  king  personally  interested  him- 
self to  secure  rights  and  justice  to  subjects.  Pris- 
oners taken  in  war  and  doomed  to  slavery  were 
set  free  and  sent  home  with  presents  to  their  coun- 
trymen. All  this  was  enough  to  inspire  hope  and 
enthusiasm.  The  highest  hopes  and  the  fondest 
anticipations  were  in  fact  cherished.  As  a  prince 
in  the  court  of  his  cruel  mother  many  had  con- 
sidered Radama  a  Christian,  and  he  was  in  fact 
reported  to  be  a  sincere  convert.  It  was  a  great 
mistake.  The  dark  side  to  the  glowing  picture 
soon  appeared.    Like  the  son  of  Solomon,  Radama 


168        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


cliose  young,  unwise  and  gay  counselors.  Open- 
ing his  ports  to  free  trade,  the  land  was  flooded 
with  foreign  rnra.  Sixty  thousand  gallons  poured 
in  in  a  week's  time,  and  a  whole  village  would  be 
drunk  by  noonday.  The  king  himself  associated 
freely  with  foreigners,  and  entered  into  their  pleas- 
ures with  the  zest  and  earnestness  which  his  cheer- 
ful disposition  and  impulsive  nature  would  have 
led  us  to  expect. 

Meantime,  the  king's  favorable  inclinations  to- 
ward the  Christian  religion  were  manifest.  He 
early  expressed  his  earnest  desire  for  the  return  of 
the  missionaries  and  the  extension  of  the  gospel 
among  his  people.  Word  was  sent  to  this  effect 
by  the  Christians  at  the  capital  to  the  London  Mis- 
sionary Society.  In  response  to  the  welcome  call, 
Rev.  William  Ellis,  the  veteran  missionary,  was 
deputed  by  the  society  to  open  communication  witli 
the  native  Christians.  He  sailed  for  the  island  in 
November,  1861.  On  reaching  Mauritius  he  found 
letters  from  the  Christians  and  an  invitation  from 
the  king  urging  him  to  hasten  his  visit.  Roman 
Catholic  priests  had  already  reached  the  coast,  and 
had  even  penetrated  to  the  capital.  The  Chris- 
tians gave  them  no  encouragement,  but  it  was  high 
time  for  the  Protestant  missionaries  to  be  moving. 


THE  DA  Y  OF  DELIVERANCE.  169 

Delayed  in  his  movements  by  the  unhealthiness 
of  the  season,  Mr.  Ellis  wrote  to  the  king  con- 
gratulating him  on  his  accession  and  accepting  his 
kind  invitation  to  visit  the  capital.  Another  sub- 
ject had  occupied  the  missionary's  mind,  which  he 
now  communicated  to  the  king.  It  was  in  refer- 
ence to  places  in  and  about  the  capital  where  the 
Christians  had  sufiPered  martyrdom.  As  property 
was  changing  hands  and  foreigners  were  making 
purchases,  Mr.  Ellis  asked  the  king  not  to  allow 
the  places  made  sacred  by  the  sufferings  of  the 
Christians  to  be  built  upon  or  sold  until  he  arrived. 
He  thought  Christians  in  Europe  might  wish  to 
build  churches  on  these  sites,  and  so  perpetuate 
among  the  Christians  and  people  of  Madagascar 
the  memory  of  the  faith  and  fidelity  of  those  who 
there  had  given  their  lives  for  Christ's  sake  and 
the  gospel's.  It  was  an  admirable  idea,  as  saga- 
cious as  it  was  beautiful.  The  king  promptly  gave 
his  assent  in  a  written  reply  to  Mr.  Ellis,  and  this 
was  the  beginning  of  a  movement  which  has  been 
most  happily  and  successfully  carried  out,  and 
which  has  given  to  the  church  in  Madagascar  its 
most  substantial  and  beautiful  houses  of  worship. 

When  Mr.  Ellis  reached  the  island,  in  May, 
1862,  he  was  received  with  every  possible  demon- 


* 


170         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

stration  of  welcome.  The  men  who  five  years 
before  could  only  see  him  by  stealth  within  closed 
doors  and  in  the  darkness  of  night  now  greeted 
him  in  open  day,  rejoicing  to  tell  him  of  the  mar- 
velous change  which  had  taken  place  and  of  the 
growing  feeling  in  favor  of  the  gospel.  On  tlie 
roadside,  as  he  traveled  toward  the  capital,  he  was 
met  by  delegations  of  Christians  who  filled  the  air 
with  their  songs  of  jubilee.  The  Sabbath  passed 
upon  the  journey  was  spent  in  worship,  the  preacher 
being  a  native  Christian  who,  when  Mr.  Ellis  last 
saw  him,  was  an  exile  flying  from  place  to  place 
with  a  price  upon  his  head.  Now  the  evening  ser- 
vice was  just  closed  when  a  deputation  of  high 
officials  from  the  king  and  queen  arrived,  who  had 
been  charged  to  conduct  the  missionary  to  the  capi- 
tal, and  the  deputation,  instead  of  interrupting, 
asked  a  continuance  of,  the  services,  and  listened 
while  another  discourse,  with  prayer,  concluded  the 
exercises  of  the  day. 

As  they  drew  near  the  capital,  Antananarivo, 
which  from  its  elevated  position  was  visible  from 
afar,  their  escort  was  increased  by  officers  with 
letters  of  welcome  and  messengers  whose  universal 
request  was  for  copies  of  the  Bible.  Having  reached 
the  quarters  assigned  them  in  the  city,  the  Chris- 


THE  DAY  OF  DELIVERANCE. 


171 


tians  flocked  in  a  continual  stream  to  welcome  the 
missionary.  The  day  after  his  arrival  he  was  con- 
ducted to  the  palace  and  received  by  the  king  and 
queen.  Mr.  Ellis  bore  a  letter  to  these  sovereigns 
from  his  queen,  Victoria,  which,  with  his  own 
assurances  of  the  friendship  of  Great  Britain,  was 
received  with  ardent  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Ellis  found  large  congregations  of  native 
Christians  assembled  in  various  places  in  the  capi- 
tal for  worship  on  Sabbath.  _  Accustomed  for 
twenty-five  years  to  shrink  as  much  as  possible 
from  the  notice  of  their  persecutors,  they  had  be- 
come habituated  to  meeting  in  the  early  dawn. 
One  service  would  be  completed  and  another  com- 
menced by  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning.  These 
throngs  of  early  worshipers,  fearless,  joyful  and 
secure,  contrasted  strongly  in  Mr.  Ellis'  mind  w^itli 
the  few  who  used  to  meet  in  secret,  scarcely  daring 
whisper  their  prayers  and  praises  in  social  worship. 

No  avenue  of  influence  or  usefulness  seemed  now 
closed  against  the  missionary.  The  sons  of  the 
highest  chiefs  were  placed  under  his  care  for  in- 
struction in  the  English  language.  He  read  Eng- 
lish with  the  king  an  hour  every  day.  Radama 
was  building  a  stone  schoolhouse  when  Mr.  Ellis 
jirrived.    As  soon  as  it  was  finished  Mr.  Ellis  was 


172         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


requested  to  hold  service  in  the  large  room  evtry 
Sunday  for  tlie  king  and  his  officers,  as  well  as  for 
the  public  generally.  The  good  missionary  treated 
his  royal  friend  with  Christian  frankness.  On  one 
occasion  of  state,  when  the  king  was  receiving  the 
congratulations  of  the  British  embassy,  including 
the  bishop  of  Mauritius,  for  his  eminent  services  to 
the  persecuted  Christians  and  for  other  humane  acts, 
he  turned  to  Mr.  Ellis  as  if  expecting  him  to  speak. 
Mr.  Ellis  replied  that  the  king  had  undoubtedly 
done  much  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  people, 
for  which  they  were  grateful,  but  added :  There 
is  one  great  thing  wanting — the  one  thing  needful. 
He  has  not  yet  become  a  Christian  himself.'^  The 
king  looked  gravely  at  the  speaker,  and  said,  "  He 
knows  what  is  in  my  heart.  He  knows  that  I  de- 
sire to  understand  and  serve  God.  I  pray  to  God 
to  enlighten  my  mind,  to  teach  me  what  I  ought 
to  know." 

The  king  attended  the  services  in  his  school- 
house  regularly,  and  was  on  every  occasion  a  care- 
ful listener.  Sometimes  many  officers  were  present. 
Some  of  these  became  converted.  Not  so  with  the 
king.  The  society  of  foreigners  had  begun  to  tell 
upon  his  habits.  Feasting  and  reveling  were  fre- 
quent in  the  palace.    The  king  was  always  the  first 


THE  DA  Y  OF  DELIVERANCE.  173 


to  be  overcome  at  these  banquets.  Mr.  Ellis'  faith- 
ful, earnest  and  kindly  remonstrances  were  met 
with  acknowledgment  and  promise  of  reformation, 
but  that  was  all.  Mr.  Ellis  did  not  suffer  himself 
to  be  discouraged ;  but  remembering  Radama's  great 
services  to  Christianity  in  the  past,  and  allowing 
for  the  unfavorable  influences  gathering  about  him, 
he  never  ceased  laboring  and  hoping  for  his  con- 
version. His  daily  readings  with  the  king  and 
his  Sunday  services  were  continued  nearly  up  to 
the  time  of  the  king's. death. 

The  coronation  of  King  Radama,  and  of  his  wife 
as  queen,  took  place  on  the  twenty-third  of  Septem- 
ber. A  French  Catholic  priest  named  Jouen,  who 
styles  himself  "  the  Apostolic  Prefect  of  Madagas- 
car," with  his  associates,  had  a  private  interview 
with  the  king  previous  to  the  coronation,  under 
the  pretext  of  viewing  the  crown  which  he  was  to 
use.  Without  consultation  or  permission,  and  de- 
pending on  their  own  audacity  to  carry  them 
through,  they  sprinkled  the  crown  with  holy  water, 
invoked  upon  it  the  divine  blessing,  and  then  "the 
prefect,"  taking  it  into  his  hands  and  approaching 
Radama,  solemnly  laid  it  upon  his  head,  using, 
according  to  his  own  published  account,  these 
woris:  "Sire,  I  crown  you  in  the  name  of  God. 


174         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


Reign  long  for  the  glory  of  your  name  and  for 
the  good  of  your  people/' 

Whatever  may  have  been  expected  to  flow  from 
this  bold  step,  it  had  no  perceptible  effect  upon  the 
king's  policy  toward  the  French  priests.  They 
received  no  special  favors,  nor  were  subjected  to 
any  special  hindrances.  The  conduct  of  these 
ghostly  intruders  surprised  the  Malagasy,  and  that 
was  the  end  of  it. 

On  the  contrary,  marked  favor  was  shown  to 
Mr.  Ellis,  and  every  encouragement  was  given  him 
in  his  work  by  the  king,  insomuch  that  the  old 
heathen  spirit  was  sometimes  visibly  stirred  in 
opposition.  On  one  occasion,  by  express  permis- 
sion of  the  king,  Mr.  Ellis  visited  the  sacred  city 
of  Ambohimanga,  a  most  enchanting  spot,  the 
birth-place  and  burial-place  of  the  founder  of  the 
dynasty,  and  the  seat  of  one  of  the  national  idols, 
which  no  foreigner  had  ever  before  been  allowed 
to  enter.  Mr.  Ellis  went  to  secure  a  site  for  a 
church,  and  to  preach  to  the  Christians  who  were 
found  even  in  this  sacred  spot  of  heathenism. 

He  was  afterward  accused  of  having  used  vio- 
lence to  gain  an  entrance.  Two  or  three  weeks 
afterward  the  authorities  of  the  place  interfered  to 
suppress  the  worship  of  the  Christians,  threw  their 


THE  DA  Y  OF  DELIVERANCE.  175 


furniture  out  of  the  windows  and  placed  a  sentry 
at  the  door.  When  the  king  heard  of  it,  he  re- 
moved the  officers  and  put  others  in  their  place. 
The  plea  was  that  a  prevailing  drought  threatened 
the  growing  rice-crops,  which  was  attributed  to  the 
anger  of  the  gods  at  the  worship  of  Christians  in 
the  sacred  city. 

Such  trifling  interruptions  only  served  to  show 
how  powerfully  the  current  was  setting  in  the  op- 
posite direction.  New  congregations  were  forming, 
new  buildings  for  worship  or  instruction  were 
going  up,  believers  and  adherents  continually  mul- 
tiplied and  the  light  of  the  gospel  was  spreading 
on  every  side. 

Happily,  the  fires  of  persecution  had  so  thor- 
oughly tested  and  trained  the  gifts  and  graces  of 
the  earlier  Christians  that  there  was  no  lack  of 
suitable  men  to  put  in  charge  of  the  rapidly-form- 
ing congregations.  Few  mission  fields  have  been 
known  in  modern  times  where  the  best  material 
for  native  pastors  was  so  abundant.  The  hands 
of  the  English  missionaries  were  therefore  free  to 
provide  for  the  more  general  interests  of  the  cause, 
and  they  could  say  to  the  native  Christians  and 
pastors  that  the  maintenance  of  the  church  in  its 
order  and  purity,  and  its  extension  into  the  country, 


176 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


was  the  work  which  the  Lord  had  devolved  on 
them,  and  in  which  the  missionaries  would  do  their 
best  to  aid  them. 

In  February,  1863,  a  temporary  chapel  was  com- 
pleted in  the  district  of  the  capital  called  Arabo- 
hipotsy,  capable  of  accommodating  six  hundred 
persons.  The  congregation,  commencing  with  thir- 
teen persons,  has  since  grown  to  fifteen  hundred, 
with  several  hundred  communicants,  and  now  oc- 
cupies a  beautiful  memorial  church  erected  in  honor 
of  the  martyrs  who  in  1836  and  1837  were  sacri- 
ficed on  that  spot. 

In  March,  Mr.  Ellis  received  word  from  home 
that  the  London  Missionary  Society  not  only  ap- 
proved of  his  plan  of  memorial  churches,  but  be- 
lieved that  all  the  necessary  funds  would  be  forth- 
coming. Deeds  for  the  ground  were  secured  with- 
out difficulty  from  the  king,  and  work  was  com- 
menced with  a  will  upon  one  of  the  sites  by  almost 
the  entire  Christian  congregation.  Some  of  the 
very  persons  now  so  busily  and  joyously  engaged 
in  digging  the  foundations,  and  in  carrying  away 
earth,  stones  and  rubbish  in  baskets  on  their 
heads,  had  probably  suffered  bonds  and  imprison- 
ment on  the  spot  for  their  faith. 

In  the  month  of  April  a  chapel  was  finished  on 


THE  DA  Y  OF  DELIVERANCE.  177 


the  eastern  side  of  Antananarivo.  Though  a  hun- 
dred feet  long  and  proportionably  wide,  it  was  filled 
on  the  day  of  opening.  The  ground  was  given  by 
one  of  the  people,  and  the  house,  with  little  assist- 
ance from  abroad,  was  built  by  the  congregation. 

The  king  took  a  lively  personal  interest  in  the 
work.  Early  in  the  year  he  invited  about  sixty 
of  the  chief  ministers  and  leading  Christians  to  a 
breakfast  at  his  house,  where  statements  were  made 
in  regard  to  their  plans  of  church  extension,  and 
the  king  expressed  pleasure  at  the  success  of  their 
work  hitherto,  and  encouraged  them  to  go  forvard 
in  supplying  the  destitution  of  the  capital. 

12 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


SUPERSTITION,  FOLLY  AND  SAD  END  OF  THE 
KING. 


MID  all  these  encouraging  indications  and 
'  great  advances,  it  remained  a  fact  that  the 
king  was  not  personally  committed  as  a 
Christian  and  gave  no  conclusive  evidence 


of  a  change  of  heart.  His  best  friends  saw  with 
pain  that  his  intemperate  habits  were  fast  gaining 
the  upper  hand,  and  that  old  heathen  traits  of  cru- 
elty and  superstition  were  developing  in  his  cha- 
racter. The  French  adventurer  Lambert  was  a 
boon  companion,  and  had  even  been  created  duke 
of  Imerina.  The  dissipated  young  men  whom  he 
kept  about  his  person  became  notorious  under  the 
name  of  "  red  eyes or  mena-maso,  it  being  pre- 
tended that  their  devotion  to  the  interests  of  their 
sovereign,  being  carried  far  into  the  night,  had  im- 
paired their  eyesight. 

These  young  men  were  not  only  obnoxiois  from 
178 


i)EATII  OF  THE  KING. 


179 


their  bad  habits,  but  coming  from  the  southern  part 
of  the  island,  were  objects  of  the  hatred  and  jeal- 
ousy springing  from  difference  of  origin  and  caste. 
Their  ascendency  over  the  king  was  unfortunately 
so  great  and  so  injurious  that  they  would  in  all 
probability  have  induced  him  in  the  end  to  become 
a  persecutor  of  the  Christian  religion.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  he  was  actually  entertaining  this  project 
when  he  was  arrested  in  his  career. 

Had  he  been  a  true  child  of  God,  with  mind  and 
character  established  and  steadied  by  personal  con- 
secration to  Christ,  he  would  have  known  how  to 
meet  the  strange  outbreak  of  heathen  sentiment, 
and  of  what  greatly  resembled  demoniacal  posses- 
sion which  now  broke  out,  in  an  entirely  different 
spirit  and  with  a  different  result.  But  there  re- 
mained a  root  of  heathenism  in  the  kind's  ow^n 
heart — a  side  of  his  nature  all  open  to  the  influence 
of  the  old  superstitions  under  which  he  was  born. 
These  superstitions  were  still  powerful  throughout 
the  country,  and  they  began  to  stir  the  hearts  of 
the  people  as  the  king's  marked  approval  and  en- 
couragement of  Christianity  became  known.  Ru- 
mor reached  the  capital  from  distant  villages  of 
the  prevalence  of  a  sort  of  sickness,  attended  with 
a  trance,  in  which  the  patient  had  communications, 


180         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


as  he  supposed,  with  the  spirit-world,  or  saw  visions 
and  received  messages  from  the  king's  departed 
ancestors.  The  general  burden  of  these  visions 
and  communications  was  the  sad  apostasy  of  the 
king  from  the  ancient  faith,  and  the  calamities  and 
judgments  w4iich  were  coming  upon  the  country 
unless  the  king  put  a  stop  to  the  worship  of  the 
God  of  the  foreigners. 

Connected  with  these  visions  and  trances  came 
rumors  of  an  unheard-of  disorder  called  the  dancintr 
mania.  It  was  first  heard  of  in  February,  1863,  as 
having  broken  out  in  the  west  or  south-west.  But 
it  did  not  long  remain  a  mere  rumor,  for  in  a  month 
it  had  reached  the  capital  and  became  quite  common 
in  the  streets.  At  first  parties  of  two  or  three 
were  to  be  seen  in  the  streets,  accompanied  by 
musicians  and  other  attendants,  dancing  in  public 
places,  and  in  a  few  weeks  these  had  increased  to 
hundreds,  so  that  one  could  not  go  out  of  doors 
without  meeting  with  these  bands  of  dancers.  It 
spread  rapidly  as  by  a  sort  of  infection  to  remote 
parts  of  the  central  province;  in  distant  hamlets 
and  by  solitary  cottages  the  sound  of  music  could 
be  heard. 

Christians  were  rarely  affected  by  this  strange 
disease,  if  disease  it  was.    The  disturbed,  excited, 


DEATH  OF  THE  KINO. 


181 


apprehensive  heathen  mind,  trembling  at  the  com- 
ing catastrophe  of  the  native  religion,  was  the  more 
natural  seat  of  such  nervous  disorder,  and  so  it 
came  to  be  a  sign  of  heathen  sympathies,  espe- 
cially in  the  capital.  Those  affected  belonged 
largely  to  the  lower  classes,  and  the  great  majority 
were  young  women  between  the  ages  of  fourteen 
and  twenty- five. 

The  patients  were  carefully  observed  by  the 
medical  missionary.  Dr.  Davidson,  who  notes  that 
they  complained  of  weights  or  pains  in  various 
parts  of  the  body,  accompanied  with  uneasiness. 
After  two  or  three  days  they  became  restless  and 
nervous;  and  if  they  heard  the  sound  of  music, 
they  would  break  violently  away  from  all  restraint, 
and  joining  the  music,  w^ould  dance  for  hours  to- 
gether with  amazing  rapidity.  They  mossed  the 
head  from  side  to  side,  and  the  hands  with  a 
monotonous  motion.  Their  eyes  were  wild,  their 
whole  appearance  utterly  abstracted,  and  they 
uttered  no  sound  but  an  occasional  deep  sigh.  The 
music  never  seemed  quick  enough.  The  dancing 
often  became  leaping.  The  endurance  of  the 
dancers  seemed  superhuman ;  they  exhausted  the 
powers  of  the  musicians,  though  often  relieved, 
until  finally  they  would  fall  down  suddenly  as 


182         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


if  dead,  or  if  the  music  was  interrupted,  they 
would  suddenly  rush  off  as  if  seized  with  some 
new  impulse  and  continue  running  until  they  fell 
down  almost  or  entirely  insensible.  The  disease 
was  never  known  to  be  fatal,  except  perhaps  in  a 
few  cases  where  the  patient  was  restrained  from 
joining  in  the  dancing.  The  mere  physical  exer- 
cise, however  violent,  was  perfectly  harmless. 

A  favorite  resort  for  these  possessed  creatures 
was  a  sacred  stone  near  the  city  where  many  of 
the  Madagascar  kings  have  been  crowned.  Or 
they  would  meet  in  the  evenings  among  the  tombs, 
and  spend  half  the  night  dancing  by  moonlight 
in  these  sombre  localities. 

Many  of  the  dancers  professed  to  have  inter- 
course with  the  departed,  particularly  with  the 
persecuting  Ranavalona.  They  disliked  above  all 
things  hats,  probably  as  a  foreign  article  of  dress, 
and  pigs,  which  were  considered  unclean  by  many 
tribes  in  Madagascar.  They  would  fly  into  a  rage 
at  the  sight  of  these  objects.  The  whole  affection 
was  regarded  by  the  Christians  as  satanic.  Cer- 
tainly it  worked  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  mis- 
sionaries for  the  time. 

The  king's  mind  became  seriously  disturbed. 
The  pretended  messages  from  his  ancestors  were 


DEATH  OF  TEE  KING.  188 


addressed  to  him.  Sometimes  the  dancers  would 
burst  into  the  courtyard  of  the  palace  in  spite  of 
the  crossed  bayonets  which  guarded  the  entrance. 
At  one  time,  when  the  king  was  reading  with  Mr. 
Ellis,  a  number  of  priests  and  dancers  burst  into 
the  room,  wheeled  madly  around  the  room  and 
cast  menacing  looks  upon  the  missionary.  The 
king  and  his  attendants  after  some  time  cleared 
the  room  and  barred  doors  and  windows,  but  the 
crowd  still  lingered  without,  the  women  dancing 
and  the  men  armed  with  stones. 

It  was  very  late  when  Mr.  Ellis  .got  home 
that  night,  and  afterward  certain  rude  charms  of 
charred  sticks  and  pieces  of  meteoric  stones  would 
be  laid  at  his  door,  frequently  in  baskets,  as  a  warn- 
ing for  him  to  leave  or  suffer  the  vengeance  of  his 
secret  enemies. 

The  king  meanwhile  showed  the  power  of  super- 
stition upon  his  mind  by  the  fears  and  depression 
of  spirits  which  these  phenomena  brought  upon 
him.  He  lost  his  natural  cheerfulness  and  became 
absent  and  silent.  Mr.  Ellis  tried  to  rally  him 
and  to  turn  off  his  fears  with  jocose  remarks, 
but  in  vain.  His  mind  continued  to  grow  dark 
and  unsettled,  and  in  the  judgment  of  Mr.  Ellis 
even  gave  way.    This  is  his  explanation  of  the 


184        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR 

exceedingly  strange  and  inconsistent  proclamation 
at  that  time  issued  by  the  king,  in  which  he  author- 
ized all  those  having  disputes  or  differences  to  set- 
tle their  quarrels  by  force  of  arms. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  held  that  the  object  of 
the  proclamation  was  to  protect  from  punishment 
the  intended  assailants  and  murderers  of  the  Chris- 
tians, and  that  it  was  dictated  by  his  dissipated 
companions,  the  mena-maso. 

The  ministers  took  a  day  to  deliberate  on  this 
mad  proclamation,  and  then  came  to  the  palace 
and  on  their  knees  besouglit  Radama  in  the  name 
of  the  people  to  withhold  the  intended  decree.  But 
the  king  obstinately  refused  to  hear  their  request. 
Finding  remonstrance  in  vain,  they  retired.  All 
foreigners  now  left  the  capital,  and  the  chief  officers 
of  state  met  at  the  house  of  the  prime  minister  for 
further  deliberation.  At  this  council  it  was  deter- 
mined the  king  must  be  compelled  to  change  his 
course,  and  that  the  mena-maso  must  be  seized  and 
punished.  A  list  of  thirty-three  of  these  young 
men  was  drawn  up ;  ten  of  them  were  seized  and 
promptly  executed,  while  the  remainder  took  refuge 
in  a  part  of  the  royal  palace.  Envoys  were  sent 
to  the  king  demanding  that  the  decree  should  be 
revoked  and  that  the  escaped  favorites  should  be 


Royal  Palace  at  Autanauarivo  and  hnuses  of  nobles. 

Page  1S4. 


DEATH  OF  THE  KING. 


185 


surrendered.  Seven  times  they  presented  their  de- 
mands, and  seven  times  they  were  refused.  At  last, 
terrified  at  the  gathering  storm,  the  king  yielded  in 
part,  consenting  to  deliver  up  the  favorites  on  con- 
dition that  their  lives  be  spared.  But  it  was  now 
too  Jate  to  talk  of  terms.  The  mena-maso  were 
seized  and  marched  away  at  once  to  execution. 

How  far  the  revolution  was  expected  to  go  by 
its  projectors  we  cannot  tell.  Once  started,  it  pro- 
bably got  beyond  their  control.  Tlie  murderers 
of  the  king's  favorites  might  well  fear  to  be  visited 
at  some  day  with  the  king's  revenge.  At  all  events, 
the  king's  death  was  speedily  determined  on. 
Shortly  after  cock-crow,  on  the  morning  of  the 
twelfth  of  May,  1863,  his  chamber  door  was  forced 
open,  and  in  spite  of  his  own  and  his  wife's  entrea- 
ties and  resistance  he  was  seized,  and  while  he 
pathetically  exclaimed, I  have  never  shed  blood," 
his  mantle  was  thrown  over  his  head,  his  sash 
slipped  around  his  throat  and  tightened  until  he 
fell  a  lifeless  corpse  on  the  floor. 

Thus  closed  the  short  but  eventful  reign  of 
Radama  II.  "  So  perished  a  ruler  whose  accession 
to  the  throne  but  a  twelvemonth  before  was  to  his 
own  countrymen  as  the  sun  rising  on  the  dark  and 
terrible  night  ot  his  mother's  cruel  reign — an  tvent 


186        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


which  Europe  had  awaited  not  without  impatience 
as  the  termination  to  deeds  shocking  to  humanity." 
In  this  reign  treaties  of  friendship  had  been  made 
with  France  and  Great  Britain.  But  the  bargain 
with  the  French  speculator  Lambert,  which  was 
doubtless  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  the  upr'sing 
against  him,  was  a  curiosity  among  land-grants 
and  royal  concessions.  Only  a  besotted  young  man 
in  his  maudlin  moments  could  have  been  inveigled 
into  such  a  contract.  Its  terms  are  well  worth 
reproducing  here.    They  are  as  follows  : 

Chap.  I.  We  authorize  J.  Lambert  to  form  a 
company  having  for  its  object  the  working  of  the 
mines  of  Madagascar,  the  forests  and  the  lands 
situated  on  the  coast  and  in  the  interior.  The  said 
company  shall  have  the  right  of  making  roads, 
canals,  building-yards,  establishments  of  public 
utility,  of  coining  money  with  the  king's  effigy, — 
in  a  word,  it  shall  do  all  that  it  may  deem  calcu- 
lated to  promote  the  good  of  the  country. 

Chap.  II.,  Art.  1.  We  grant  and  concede  to  the 
company  the  exclusive  privilege  of  working  all 
the  mines  of  Madagascar,  including  those  already 
known  and  those  which  may  hereafter  be  dis- 
covered. 

Art.  2.  W(  grant  and  concede  equally  to  the 


DEATH  OF  THE  KING. 


187 


said  company,  as  well  for  itself  as  for  those  whom 
it  may  admit  to  take  part  in  it,  the  privilege  of 
choosing  on  all  the  coasts  and  in  the  interior  of 
the  country  any  unoccupied  lands  to  be  put  into 
cultivation.  In  consequence,  the  company  shall 
become  proprietors  of  the  lands  which  it  shall 
have  chosen  as  soon  as  it  shall  give  us  notice  of 
having  taken  possession  of  them. 

Art.  3.  The  company  shall  not  pay  any  duties 
upon  the  ore  produced,  nor  upon  the  profits  made 
upon  it. 

Art.  4.  The  produce  of  the  working  of  the 
mines  of  Madagascar  and  upon  cultivation  shall 
enjoy  the  privilege  of  free  exportation  without  any 
duty.  The  company's  property  shall  not  be  liable 
to  be  burdened  with  imposts.  AYhat  shall  be 
brought  in  for  the  company  shall  pay  no  duty. 

Art.  5.  We  relinquish  to  this  company  all  the 
mines  of  Soatsimanampiovano,  so  as  to  put  them 
in  condition  for  the  immediate  employment  ot 
laborers.  AVe  also  give  to  the  company  the  house 
at  Soanierana  to  establish  there  the  headquarters  of 
its  administration. 

The  company  on  its  part  engages  to  assist  to  the 
best  of  its  power  the  king's  projects  for  the  ame- 
lioration and  civilization  of  the  country.    A  clause 


188         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


was  also  added  by  Lambert  engaging  to  pay  the 
king  ten  per  cent,  of  the  profits. 

Just  before  the  king  was  strangled  by  the  no- 
bles, Lambert  had  formed  his  company  at  Paris, 
and  had  received  from  Louis  Napoleon  the  impe- 
rial sanction  to  the  project.  According  to  the  de- 
tails of  the  plan,  the  island  would  have  passed 
almost  bodily  into  the  hands  of  these  French  spec- 
ulators. They  had  selected  the  following  classes 
of  lands  to  be  appropriated  under  the  treaty:  1. 
All  such  as  from  vicinity  to  the  ports  are  likely  to 
become  centres  of  population.  2.  Those  situated 
along  the  course  of  navigable  rivers.  3.  The  un- 
occupied lands  nearest  to  the  existing  centres  of 
population.  4.  The  fertile  lands  in  the  most 
healthy  localities.  5.  In  the  neighborhood  of 
forests,  and  where  gum  and  caoutchouc  are  procur- 
able. 6.  Lands  suitable  for  pasturage  and  rice. 
7.  Mineral  lands,  and  such  as  may  be  presumed  to 
be  such. 

The  imperial  authorization  to  these  plans  was 
received  May  second,  1863.  Ten  days  afterward 
Radama  was  strangled,  and  the  government  of  the 
new  queen,  while  confirming  all  existing  treaties,  at 
once  repudiated  these  enormous  and  unwarrantable 
concessions.     Ill  the  acts  of  Radama  were  de- 


DEATH  OF  THE  KING. 


189 


clared  abrogated  and  of  no  force  unless  re-enacted. 
In  1865,  Mr.  Lambert's  infamous  treaty  was  pub- 
licly burned,  and  that  was  the  last  of  a  scheme 
which  might  have  bound  Madagascar  hand  and 
foot  to  a  selfish,  grasping  and  tyrannical  commer- 
cial policy,  and  virtually  handed  it  over  to  the 
domination  of  France. 

The  French  writers  and  the  government  itself 
took  the  matter  in  hand.  The  old  feeling  of 
French  rights  in  Madagascar  which  had  existed  in 
more  or  less  strength  for  more  than  two  centuries 
w^as  kindled  afresh.  It  was  a  time,  too,  when 
French  ambition  and  French  schemes  of  aggrand- 
izement were  at  their  height.  An  article  prompted 
by  the  imperial  government,  and  drawing  its  facts 
from  official  sources,  appeared  in  a  leading  quar- 
terly journal,  the  Revue  des  deux  3Iondes,  for  Octo- 
ber, 1863,  in  which  the  French  claims  were  stated 
and  an  argument  made  for  rousing  the  various 
subject  races  to  rebellion  against  the  Hova  govern- 
ment. "With  aid  from  France  the  revolution  could 
be  accomplished,  and  then,  it  was  argued,  under  the 
new  government,  set  up  by  her  aid,  a  better  oppor- 
tunity would  offer  for  France  to  claim  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  Lambert  grant,  which  the  Hova  gov- 
ernment repudiated.    Here  was  a  cool  proposal  to 


190        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

root  up  and  blot  out  all  the  advance  made  under 
the  Hovas  in  evangelization  an  I  Christianity,  and 
to  throw  the  island  a  half  a  century  backward  into 
barbarism,  to  sustain  a  claim  of  monstrous  unright- 
eousness, back  of  which  loomed  the  sinister  pros- 
pect of  a  sacrifice  of.  the  nationality  and  independ- 
ence of  the  island  outright  to  the  greed  of  France 
and  of  her  emperor  Louis  Napoleon  for  foreign 
enlargement.  The  French  officials  on  the  island 
fully  expected  that  a  naval  force  would  be  sent  in 
1864  to  compel  the  new  government  to  fulfill  the 
treaty,  and  gave  out  that  the  matter  would  be  con- 
sidered a  cause  of  war  against  Madagascar,  and 
but  for  the  good  offices  of  the  English  consul 
at  Tamatave,  the  French  would  have  probably 
attempted  reprisals  with  such  force  as  they  had  at 
command,  without  waiting  for  instructions  from 
home.  Meanw^hile,  ambassadors  were  sent  from 
Madagascar  to  England  and  France.  England 
already  had  an  understanding  with  France  adverse 
to  interfering  in  the  affairs  of  the  island,  and 
the  French  government  consented  to  abandon  its 
scheme  of  conquest,  but  wrung  out  of  the  half- 
civilized,  upward-struggling  government  of  Mada- 
gascar a  blackmail  of  one  million  francs,  which 
was  paid  almost  wholly  by  the  queen  herself.  But 


DEATH  OF  THE  KING.  191 


it  left  small  love  for  France  in  the  bosoms  of  the 
people.  We  read  of  the  Lambert  treaty  being 
burned  in  1865,  probably  about  the  time  the  queen 
complete  her  payments. 

A  few  hours  after  the  conspirators  offered  the 
vacant  throne  to  his  widow  she  accepted  the  offer, 
and  under  the  title  of  Queen  Rasoherina  she  be- 
came the  first  constitutional  ruler  of  Madagascar. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THE  FIRST  CONSTITUTIONAL  RULER  OF  MADA- 
GASCAR. 

IKE  the  powerful  English  barons  who 
wrested  the  Magna  Charta  from  the  weak 
king  John,  so  these  successful  conspirators 
used  their  victory  to  gain  from  their  new 
ruler  the  first  definite  guarantees  for  civil  liberty, 
and  the  first  germs  of  a  constitution  for  Madagas- 
car. It  is  not  a  little  remarkable  that  a  revolu- 
tion brought  about  in  no  small  degree  by  heathen 
excitement,  and  perhaps  even  by  satanic  influences, 
should  have  been  so  guided  by  Providence  as  to 
result  almost  wholly  to  the  advantage  of  civiliza- 
tion and  Christianity. 

French  Catholic  writers  and  politicians,  jealous 
doubtless  of  English  and  of  Protestant  influence 
in  the  island,  tried  to  make  out  the  opposite,  but 
the  actual  persons  engaged  in  the  overthrow  of 

192 


THE  FIRST  CONSTITUTIONAL  RULER.  193 

Radama,  however  their  task  may  have  been  facili- 
tated by  discontent  among  the  heathen  priests  and 
population,  seem  themselves  to  have  been  actuated 
by  genuine  regard  for  the  welfare  of  their  country. 
This  appears  plainly  in  the  character  of  the  docu- 
ment presented  to  the  queen  for  signature.  The 
following  are  some  of  the  articles : 

Perfect  freedom  and  protection  are  guaranteed 
to  all  foreigners  who  are  obedient  to  the  laws  of 
the  land. 

Friendly  relations  are  to  be  maintained  with  all 
other  nations. 

Protection  and  liberty  to  worship,  teach  and 
promote  Christianity  are  secured  to  the  native 
Christians. 

Thus,  for  a  king  aspiring  to  play  the  despot,  was 
substituted  a  constitutional  queen  bound  by  laws 
to  her  subjects,  as  truly  as  they  are  bound  to  her. 

The  queen  herself,  though  a  devoted,  old-fash- 
ioned idolater  and  respecter  of  charms  and  divi- 
nation, had  so  much  native  good  sense,  and  had 
felt  so  much  the  general  educating  influence  of 
the  Christian  civilization  which  had  reached  the 
country,  that  the  part  of  a  constitutional  ruler 
was  perfectly  easy  and  natural  to  her.  She  ruled 
with  justice  and  mercy,  seeking  to  diminish  the 

13 


194         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

heavy  burdens  of  the  people,  and  avoiding  all  per- 
sonal interference  with  their  religious  preferences. 
The  only  annoyance  of  which  the  Christians  could 
complain  was  their  enforced  attendance  at  times, 
as  officers,  soldiers  or  workmen,  on  government 
work  on  the  Sabbath  day.  Even  this  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  intended  as  persecution,  and 
there  were  occasions  when  the  queen  made  special 
arrangements  to  accommodate  her  Christian  attend- 
ants on  that  day. 

On  one  such  occasion  the  queen  is  said  to  have 
addressed  her  servants  as  follows :  "  I  know  that 
many  of  you  are  praying  people  and  like  to  attend 
worship,  and  perhaps  you  may  be  afraid  that,  as  I 
do  not  pray,  I  shall  be  displeased  with  you  for  so 
doing.  Not  at  all.  Those  who  wish  to  shall  go. 
But  remember  that  I  shall  expect  that  you  who 
say  you  are  Christians,  and  thus  profess  to  be  better 
than  other  people,  will  act  better  than  other  peo- 
ple. I  shall  expect  that  you  will  not  lie  or  cheat 
or  steal  or  do  evil  as  others,  but  show  by  your 
conduct  what  a  good  thing  the  praying  is." 

This  shrewd  speech  from  the  mouth  of  a  heathen, 
in  her  public  and  private  life,  is  a  valuable  testi- 
mony to  the  high  aims  and  expected  fruits  of  evan- 
gelical Christianity  as  it  had  been  taught  and  ex- 


TEE  FIRST  COXSTFTUTIOSAL  RULER.  195 


emplifieil  in  Madagascar.  Daring  her  reign  of 
five  years  there  was  complete  religious  liberty. 
Queen  Victoria  of  England  sent  to  Queen  Haso- 
herina  a  personal  request  that  there  might  be  no 
persecution  of  tlie  Christians,  and  an  article  was 
inserted  in  the  treaty  between  the  two  sovereigns, 
in  the  following  words :  "  In  accordance  with  the 
wish  of  Queen  Victoria,  Queen  Rasoherina  engages 
that  there  shall  be  no  more  persecution  of  the 
Christians  in  Madas^ascar." 

The  engagement  was  faithfully  kept.  Much 
personal  kindness  was  also  shown  to  the  mission- 
aries under  whose  care  she  placed  her  adopted  chil- 
dren, and  whose  mighty  influence  for  the  temporal 
good  of  her  people  at  least  she  fully  appreciated. 
Her  relations  with  Christian  and  Protestant  coun- 
tries were  also  extended  by  a  treaty  of  commerce 
with  the  United  States  of  America. 

Meantime,  the  work  of  evangelization  went  rap- 
idly and  prosperously  forward.  With  so  many 
strong  congregations  at  the  centre,  a  commence- 
ment could  now  be  made  of  vigorous  and  organ- 
ized missionary  efforts  in  the  remoter  sections.  Ac- 
cordingly, a  series  of  monthly  missionary  meetings 
was  arranged  in  each  of  the  city  churches  by  turns. 
Government  authority  was  obtained,  for  these  Chris- 


196 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


tian  ^'  kabars  were  viewed  with  suspicion  by 
tlie  anti-foreign  party.  The  first  one  was  held  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  first  Monday  in  August,  1863, 
and  such  was  the  interest  that  long  before  the  time 
of  meeting  the  house  was  crowded,  and,  inside 
and  out,  at  least  three  thousand  persons  were 
present. 

In  response  to  the  multitudinous  prayers  thus 
offered  up,  cheering  news  of  the  progress  of  the 
truth  in  remote  parts  of  the  country  came  to  hand. 
From  the  extreme  south  of  the  island.  Christian 
men  made  their  way  to  the  capital.  The  gos- 
pel penetrated  one  of  the  sacred  villages  of  the 
north,  the  whole  population  of  which  had  been 
votaries  of  the  idols  kept  in  the  village,  and  now 
regular  worship  was  held  in  the  house  of  one  of 
the  Christians,  which  had  been  appropriated  for  the 
purpose. 

This  was  just  such  a  case  as  might  have  been 
expected  to  rouse  the  heathen  prejudices  of  the 
queen.  But  when  informed  of  the  fact,  she  de- 
clared without  reserve  or .  hesitation  that  her  sub- 
jects everywhere  had  a  right  to  choose  for  them- 
selves, either  to  cleave  to  the  idols  or  to  unite  with 
the  Christians. 

Six  villages  in  the  south  received  native  preach- 


THE  FIRST  CONSTITUTIONAL  BULEB.  197 


ers  every  Sabbath  day  from  the  capitah  In  the 
province  of  Vonizongo,  to  the  north-west,  three 
good  congregations,  with  six  hundred  Christians 
and  one  hundred  and  twenty  communicants,  were 
found.  This  district  had  suffered  severely  from 
persecution,  and  the  vigor  and  independent  vitality 
of  the  churches  is  shown  from  the  fact  that  no 
European  teacher  had  been  in  the  district  since  the 
expulsion  of  the  missionaries  twenty-seven  years 
previously. 

The  fourth  Sunday  in  August  was  set  apart  by 
the  priests  and  diviners,  much  to  the  regret  of  the 
Christians,  for  the  coronation  of  the  queen.  When 
her  husband  was  crowned  in  1861,  no  priests  or 
idols  appeared  as  participants.  But  now  they  oc- 
cupied the  most  honorable  positions.  One  was 
placed  in  the  palanquin  with  the  queen,  and  when 
she  ascended  the  platform,  a  priest  followed,  bear- 
ing the  idol,  which  was  fixed  at  the  right  hand, 
the  priest  standing  immediately  behind  the  queen. 

Nevertheless,  the  queen's  speech  was  judicious 
and  conciliatory  throughout.  She  reiterated  in 
the  fullest  manner  her  purpose  to  secure  religious 
liberty  to  every  class  of  her  subjects,  and  the  priests, 
with  their  show  of  idols,  were  in  a  far  different 
position  from  those  who  stood  by  the  bloody  Ran- 


198       THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

avalona  with  a  similar  show  of  precious  rags  and 
bundles. 

Not  long  after,  the  queen's  mother  died,  and  on 
the  occasion  of  her  funeral,  the  leading  Christians 
were  invited  to  attend,  and  in  the  customary  dis- 
tribution of  gifts  seven  oxen  were  apportioned  to 
the  leaders  of  the  congregations  as  the  gift  of  her 
Majesty  to  the  Christians.  This  royal  recognition 
of  the  Christians  put  them  for  the  first  time  on 
an  equality  with  all  other  classes  in  the  public 
estimate. 

The  following  Christmas  day  was  celebrated  by 
the  native  Christians  by  early  worship  at  their 
churches.  Then  assembling  to  the  number  of 
seven  or  eight  thousand,  and  preceded  by  officers 
of  the  government  who  were  Christians  and  by 
the  ministers  of  the  churches,  they  marched  four 
abreast  to  the  queen's  palace,  singing  as  they  went. 
Here  they  were  kindly  and  respectfully  received 
by  the  queen  and  her  court,  and  their  addresses, 
singing  and  great  numbers  made  an  evident 
impression. 

During  this  eventful  and  somewhat  trying  year 
less  hindrance  perhaps  was  felt  and  a  greater  de- 
gree of  prosperity  was  attained  than  ever  before  by 
the  churches.     Three  missionaries  arrived  from 


TEE  FIRST  CONSTITUTIONAL  RULER.  199 


England ;  three  new  church  buildings  were  erected, 
two  of  them  for  new  congregations  ;  the  third,  one 
of  the  largest  in  the  capital,  had  fifteen  hundred 
}>ersons  within  the  walls  on  the  day  of  opening, 
besides  two  or  three  hundred  without.  The  ordi- 
nary attendance  was  nearly  or  quite  fifteen  hundred, 
and  a  hundred  and  eighty-two  communicants  were 
added  in  the  year.  Schools  were  opened  in  con- 
nection with  four  of  the  city  churches.  The  most 
necessary  books  for  teaching  were  printed  on  the 
ijjland. 


CHAPTEK  XX. 


UNINTERRUPTED  AND  RAPID  PROGRESS. 
S 

HE  progress  of  the  gospel  continued  unin- 
terrupted during  the  entire  reign  of  the 
queen,  which  lasted  until  April,  1868.  At 
the  close  of  the  preceding  year  there  were 
twelve  congregations  in  the  capital  and  eighty-six 
scattered  through  the  provinces,  with  five  thousand 
members  and  twenty-one  thousand  of  a  nominal 
Christian  population. 

An  educated  Christian  ministry  was  being  raised 
up.  The  Christian  people  themselves  gave  evi- 
dences of  growth  in  knowledge  and  in  all  the  ele- 
ments of  mature  Christian  experience.  A  native 
officer  at  Fiaranantsoa  and  a  number  of  his  wives 
were  converted.  Although  no  European  had  ever 
been  there,  and  no  instructions  on  the  subject  had 
been  given  by  the  missionaries,  with  the  light  of 
the  gospel  alone  to  guide  them,  these  persons  agreed 

200 


UNINTERRUPTED  PROGRESS.  201 

that  their  mode  of  living  was  wrong,  and  one  of 
the  women  being  retained  as  the  lawful  wife  of  the 
officer,  the  rest  were  honorably  and  safely  returned 
to  their  homes  under  an  escort. 

A  native  Christian  literature  was  founded,  and 
a  large  edition  of  the  Scriptures  was  disposed  of. 
A  periodical,  called  "Good  Words"  (Teny  Soa), 
was  started,  the  first  number  being  issued  January 
1, 1866.  Native  lads  and  young  men  were  trained 
to  do  the  whole  work  of  composing,  printing,  bind- 
ing and  other  processes  required  in  publishing  these 
and  other  books,  and  they  did  it  admirably. 

An  insatiable  thirst  for  Scripture  knowledge  / 
possessed  the  minds  of  the  native  Christians.  At 
the  close  of  one  of  their  monster  monthly  concerts, 
a  special  meeting  of  all  the  native  church  officers 
and  leading  members  was  held,  the  object  of  which 
was  to  get  an  effective  expression  of  this  desire  for 
,  enlarged  acquaintance  with  the  Bible.  They  had 
seen  the  numerous  volumes  of  commentaries  in  the 
missionaries'  libraries,  and  they  sent  a  deputation 
of  their  number  to  request  the  missionaries  imme- 
diately to  translate  and  publish  the  whole  of  Mat- 
thew Henry's  commentary  and  of  Mr.  Barnes' 
notes.  Subsequently,  in  1870,  the  translation  of 
Barnes'  notes  was  ordered  by  the  government,  and 


202        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


a  native  preacher  of  education  is  mentioned  whose 
library  contained  Henry's  commentary  and  Barnes' 
notes  entire,  with  other  extended  commentaries  in 
the  English  language,  of  which  he  made  regular 
use  in  preparing  his  sermons. 

The  domestic  habits  of  the  Christians  became 
more  and  more  conformed  to  the  purity  of  the 
gospel.  Christian  marriage  was  recognized  in 
addition  to  the  civil  forms  necessary,  and  a  regis- 
ter of  marriages  was  begun.  Divorce  for  frivo- 
lous causes,  so  universal  under  heathenism,  was 
frowned  upon,  and  a  regulation  on  the  subject  was 
adopted  at  a  meeting  of  representatives  from  the 
city  churches  in  June,  1869,  which  it  was  stated 
on  authority  met  the  entire  approval  of  the  prime 
minister  and  was  considered  by  him  as  good,  and  as 
not  in  conflict  with  any  of  the  laws  of  the  land. 

A  higher  tone  of  sentiment  upon  marriage  be- 
gan to  show  itself  in  the  community  outside  of  • 
the  church,  divorce  and  polygamy  decreased,  and 
licentious  customs  and  practices,  which  used  to  be 
indulged  in  without  shame  or  concealment,  were 
outlawed  and  disappeared  from  public  notice. 

As  fast  as  churches  could  be  built  and  opened 
they  were  filled  with  attentive  and  grateful  con- 
gregations.   The  people  themselves  took  such  mat- 


UNINTERRUPTED  PROGRESS.  203 

ters  in  hand,  unwilling  to  be  dependent  upcn  the 
missionaries  and  the  Christian  people  of  Europe. 
Churches  in  the  rural  districts  would  first  raise  all 
they  could  among  themselves,  and  then  call  upon 
their  friends  in  the  capital  for  additional  aid.  An 
instance  is  given  by  Mr.  Ellis  of  such  an  effort 
made  by  the  Christians  of  Ilafy,  a  village  in  the 
north.  After  stating  the  amount  of  their  own  con- 
tributions they  commenced  their  appeal  for  aid  by 
a  summary  of  facts  of  which  the  following  is  a 
translation : 

"  What  the  Christians  of  Ilafy  suffered  during 
the  time  of  darkness  : 

"  Four  Christians  were  hunted,  seized  and  put 
to  death. 

"  Three  Christians  died  in  fetters. 

"Three  Christians  died  from  the  tangena,  or 
poison. 

"  Four  Christians  took  the  poison,  but  survived. 

"Twenty-five  Christians  continued  steadfast  to 
the  end  of  the  persecution. 

"  Twenty-eight  Christians  at  Elafy  at  that  time. 

"  Two  hundred  and  sixty  added  to  the  Christians 
since  the  light  (liberty)  came  to  the  land." 

Thus  more  than  one-third  of  the  little  band 
suffered  martyrdom,  and  nearly  one-fourth  actu- 


^U4         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

ally  gave  their  lives  for  the  gospel.  Of  course 
their  appeal  was  successful.  They  completed  one 
of  the  best-furuished  village  chapels  in  the  country. 

The  contributions  of  the  natives  were  truly 
liberal  in  proportion  to  their  means.  A  dollar 
there  was  equivalent  to  between  five  and  ten  here. 
In  the  centre  of  the  capital  one  of  the  churches 
gave  four  hundred  and  sixty  dollars  for  their  land, 
which  at  that  time  was  a  new  and  wonderful  event 
amongst  such  a  people.  A  subscription  of  a  few 
dollars  from  an  officer  of  middle  rank  is  equal  to 
his  whole  ordinary  money  expenditure  for  as  many 
weeks. 

But  their  liberality  was  shown  in  the  cheerful- 
ness and  zeal  with  which  all  classes  contributed 
of  the  work  of  their  hands  in  these  church  erec- 
tion enterprises.  Mr.  Sibree,  the  architect  of  the 
memorial  churches,  was  delighted,  he  says,  on  in- 
specting the  foundations  of  the  new  metropolitan 
church,  to  see  people  of  high  position  down  in  the 
trenches,  working  away  harder  than  the  paid  labor- 
ers, for  they  felt  it  to  be  a  labor  of  love.  He  men- 
tions another  instance  of  the  kind,  where  the  whole 
building  was  divided  amongst  the  people,  and  all 
put  their  hands  to  it.  Officers  of  high  military 
rank  were  laying  the  bricks,  their  wives,  some  of 


VNINTERRUPTED  PROGRESS.  205 


them  ladies  of  the  court,  bringing  them  materials 
arul  mixing  the  mortar.  And  when  the  church 
was  dedicated,  there  was  a  joy  in  the  hearts  of  the 
members  with  which  no  stranger  intermeddled. 

Xot  long  afterward,  on  a  Saturday  night,  the 
spot  was  visited  by  a  whirlwind  and  a  waterspout 
which  left  the  little  church  in  ruins.  The  congre- 
gation, which  assembled  on  the  following  morning 
for  worship,  were  overwhelmed  with  dismay ;  men 
and  women  sat  down  on  the  spot  and  cried.  But 
before  they  dispersed  they  resolved  to  build  a  larger 
and  better  church  than  before.  The  next  day  they 
arranged  the  division  of  the  work,  the  missionary 
engaging  to  provide  only  one-sixth  part  of  the  cost. 

These  cases  are  introduced  as  illustrations  sim- 
ply of  what  was  going  on  all  around  the  capital 
on  a  similar  scale. 

In  like  manner  the  people  provided  in  freewill- 
offerings  the  entire  amount  paid  to  the  native  pas- 
tors. The  church  at  Analakely,  in  the  limits  of 
the  capital,  expressed  their  sentiments  on  the  sub- 
ject in  the  following  language :  "  We  feel  that 
preparing  a  sermon  is  a  work  requiring  time  and 
attention  and  thought,  and  those  who  do  this  work 
ought  to  have  time  for  preparation.  Yet  some  of 
those  who  preach  to  us  are  poor  and  cannot  well 

18* 


206         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


afford  to  give  up  a  day  or  two  of  their  time.  We 
ought  to  help  them  and  give  them  money  to  buy 
food  while  they  are  studying  the  Scriptures  and 
preparing  to  give  us  the  word  of  life." 

Accordingly,  it  was  decided  that  sixpence — twelve 
cents — should  be  given  to  every  preacher  at  every 
service,  a  sum  that  appears  trifling,  but  it  would 
keep  a  man  in  provisions  for  a  whole  day  in  Mada- 
gascar. 

The  missionary  spirit  has  always  been  a  prom- 
inent feature  in  the  Christian  character  of  the 
natives.  Only  as  a  leaven  working  from  within 
outwardly  has  the  Madagascar  church  maintained 
and  extended  itself.  Shut  out  from  the  sympathy 
and  support  of  Christendom,  it  lived  because  it 
w^as  aggressive  and  home  missionary  in  its  very 
essence.  Under  persecution  its  example  was 
mighty,  and  the  character  and  habits  and  modes 
of  influence  then  attained  have  remained  with  the 
Madagascar  church  ever  since.  Religion  has  been 
spread  in  that  island,  from  the  first,  mainly  through 
the  personal  teaching  and  efforts  of  individual 
Christians,  and  by  the  not  less  powerful  influence 
of  their  holy  lives  and  changed  dispositions.  The 
heathen  have  said :  "  We  knew  such  a  one ;  he 
used  to  be  ci'uel,  false,  dishonest;  now  he  is  kind 


UNINTERRUPTED  PROGRESS.  207 

and  loviug,  speaking  the  truth,  acting  uprightly. 
This  must  be  a  powerful  thing  which  has  made 
such  a  change." 

But  in  1867  the  formal  work  of  home  missions 
was  inaugurated  by  one  of  the  older  churches.  A 
young  man  of  suitable  qualifications  was  set  apart 
as  a  missionary  to  a  tribe  living  several  days'  jour- 
ney north  of  the  capital.  The  young  man,  though 
well  educated,  was  a  slave.  His  freedom  was  pur- 
chased with  the  help  of  friends  in  England,  and 
he  removed  with  wife  and  children  for  the  scene 
of  his  labors,  the  congregation  which  sent  him 
agreeing  to  pay  him  sixty  dollars  a  year  and  to 
provide  him  with  a  house.  He  was  prospered 
abundantly  in  his  work ;  the  heathen  population 
were  kind  and  friendly,  and  a  house  of  worship 
was  speedily  built. 

There  had  already  existed  in  this  northern  tribe 
the  nucleus  of  a  Christian  society,  which  probably 
owed  its  origin  to  the  personal  efforts  of  scattered 
Christians,  who,  wherever  they  went,  in  their  hum- 
ble but  effective  way  preached  the  word.  The  Chris- 
tian officers  and  soldiers  of  the  army,  "  devout  sol- 
diers," whose  calling  brought  them  into  contact  with 
natives  in  every  part  of  the  kingdom,  seemed  never 
to  forget  their  allegiance  to  the  Captain  of  their 


208         THE  ST  OB  Y  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

salvation.  Their  regular  practice  on  these  distant 
errands  was  to  call  their  families  and  dependants 
and  inferior  officers  around  them,  and  to  commence 
religious  worship.  The  people  of  the  neighbor- 
hood would  be  drawn  into  these  gatherings,  and 
thus  little  communities  of , Christians  would  spring 
up  in  multitudes  of  scattered  places,  open  for  the 
more  systematic  efforts  of  the  home  missionary. 
In  many  instances  the  lieutenant-governor  of  a 
port  or  district  has  been  the  pastor  or  chief  preacher 
of  a  congregation  thus  gathered. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE  QUEEX'S  PHOGEESS  AND  DEATH. 

HE  Christian  consistency  and  zeal  of  the 
people  and  their  evangelistic  activity  did 
not  want  for  special  trial  and  difficulty 
even  in  this  favored  era  of  the  church's 
history.  The  occasion  referred  to  was  "  the  royal 
progress"  or  journey  of  state  made  by  the  queen 
in  the  year  1867  to  the  eastern  coast. 

In  this  journey  her  Majesty  was  attended  not 
only  by  her  chosen  body-guard  and  by  six  thou- 
sand troops,  with  their  camp  followers,  but,  in  ac- 
cordance with  an  ancient  and  oppressive  custom 
already  described,  the  attendance  of  twelve  or 
fifteen  thousand  others  from  other  sections  of 
the  country  was  required  to  swell  her  train  and 
increase  the  grandeur  of  the  royal  show. 

The  preparing  of  tents  and  equipments  for  so 
vast  a  company,  to  say  nothing  of  provisions — a 

U  209 


210        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


work  which  tasks  the  energy  and  wisdom  of  the 
most  civilized  people  of  the  world  in  their  military 
operations — occupied  the  people  at  the  capital  for 
nearly  three  months;  and  considering  the  rough 
and  uncultivated  state  of  much  of  the  country  to 
be  traversed,  and  remembering  the  dreadful  ex- 
periences of  famine,  starvation  and  death  which 
had  attended  these  reckless  shows  of  royalty  in 
the  past,  one  might  have  expected  all  classes  to  be 
absorbed  in  anxiety  for  the  bodily  interests  of  the 
vast  hosts. 

But  now  a  new  anxiety  was  felt,  unheard  of 
and  impossible  in  Madagascar  before.  The  Chris- 
tian people  who  were  included  in  these  orders 
were  concerned  for  their  spiritual  welfare  in  the 
new  associations  and  irregular  modes  of  life  they 
would  be  called  to  encounter.  They  wished  to 
take  some  of  the  missionaries  along  with  them, 
but  the  government  did  not  favor  it.  For  a  week 
before  the  time  of  their  departure  prayer-meetings 
were  held  in  their  behalf,  and  on  the  Sunday  pre- 
ceding a  united  prayer-meeting  of  all  the  churches 
in  the  capital  commended  them  to  the  divine  care 
on  their  trying  journey. 

The  court  set  out  on  the  twentieth  of  June. 
The  queen  carried  diviners,  idols  and  idol-keepers 


THE  QUEEN'S  DEATH.  211 

with  her  on  her  journey.  She  kept  them  within 
the  enclosure  or  palisade  which  surrounded  her 
tent  wherever  it  was  pitched  for  the  night.  But 
it  was  said  that  she  did  not  travel  on  Sundays,  and 
whenever  she  did  stop,  week-days  or  Sundays,  the 
Christians  improved  the  opportunity  to  hold  meet- 
ings for  worship,  generally  in  the  open  air.  Large 
numbers  attended  these  meetings  who  at  home  never 
entered  a  place  of  worship.  Men  of  high  stand- 
ing in  the  court  or  the  army,  hitherto  unknown  as 
preachers,  now  came  forward,  and  with  astonishing 
boldness,  earnestness  and  feeling  commended  the 
Lord  Jesus  to  their  dying  fellow-men. 

Their  heathen  countrymen,  who  had  never  be- 
fore heard  the  words  of  salvation,  gathered  around 
them  to  hear  and  drink  in  the  good  news  from 
heaven.  The  longer  they  stayed,  the  larger  grew 
these  meetings,  and  the  attention  and  interest  mani- 
fested by  these  heathen  reacted  healthfully  upon 
the  watchfulness  and  consistency  of  the  Christians. 
Consequently,  when  the  queen  returned  in  October 
and  the  Christians  got  back  to  their  homes,  it  was 
found  that  only  a  few  had  been  carried  away  from 
their  moorings.  In  many  cases  there  was  a  de- 
cided improvement  in  the  tone  of  their  piety.  The 
natit  e  preachers  showed  increased  fervor  and  efii- 


212         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

ciency.  A  number  of  those  first  awakened  in  these 
trying  scenes  were  afterward  added  to  the  church. 

The  whole  affair  much  resembled  what  was  fre- 
quently seen  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion  in  our 
own  country.  The  dangerous  scenes  and  associa- 
tions of  military  life,  instead  of  weakening  or  de- 
stroying the  spiritual  life  of  our  Christian  soldiers, 
frequently  roused  and  developed  it  to  a  degree 
which  has  left  permanent  and  happy  results  upon 
the  piety  of  our  country.  The  wonted  wickedness 
and  profanity  of  the  camp  was  often  replaced  by 
genuine  and  powerful  revivals,  the  fruits  of  which 
continue  to  adorn  our  churches  to  this  day.  If 
this  triumph  of  evangelical  principles  over  great 
obstacles  at  home  was  a  proof  of  its  superhuman 
power  and  origin,  it  is  at  least  equally  so  in  Mada- 
gascar. 

Thus  rapidly  and  in  the  form  of  a  widespread 
but  quiet  revival  the  truth  continued  to  advance 
under  this  nominally  heathen  queen.  She  gave 
Christianity  a  fair  chance,  while  heathenism  had 
all  the  advantage  it  could  derive  from  her  exam- 
ple.   Only  that,  in  fact,  kept  it  alive. 

The  queen  herself,  whose  health  had  begun  to 
fail,  gave  some  evidence  before  she  died  of  a  mind 
disposed  to  look  elsewhere  than  to  her  old  idols 


THE  QUEEN'S  DEATK  213 

and  diviners  for  direction  and  comfort.  She  de- 
clined to  obey  one  of  the  last  directions  of  the 
diviners.  It  is  said  that  on  one  occasion  her 
adopted  son  brought  to  her  a  picture  of  the  Virgin 
Mary  wliich  had  been  given  him,  with  one  or  two 
brief  prayers  that  might  be  offered  to  her.  Look- 
ing at  it  for  a  while,  she  said,  "  No,  no,  my  boy, 
these  will  not  do;  whenever  you  pray  make  all 
your  prayers  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Early  in  1868  her  health  gave  way,  and  it  was 
evident  that  a  change  must  soon  take  place  in  the 
government  of  the  island,  and  plots  of  a  revolution 
and  the  establishment  of  a  new  dynasty  were  en- 
tertained. The  queen  sought  relief  in  a  change 
of  air'  and  scenery,  but  as  the  inevitable  end  drew 
near  the  loyal  officers  besought  her  to  return  to  the 
capital.  But  the  idol  had  promised  her  recov- 
ery, and  she  would  not  act  without  its  express  per- 
mission. The  prime, minister  asked  the  chief  idol- 
keeper  to  use  hisxinfluence  with  the  idol  that  it 
might  recommend  the  queen's  return.  It  is  said 
the  keeper  replied  that  he  could  not  force  the  god. 
The  minister  shrewdly  replied  that  it  was  true, 
but  might  he  not  influence  his  keepers  ?  This  hint 
took,  and  the  priests  brought  the  mean  little  bun- 
dle of  rags  and  sticks  which  they  called  Helima- 


214         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

laza  to  the  queen  with  the  message  that  her  Ma- 
jesty must  return  to  Antananarivo,  the  capital. 

The  poor  dying  queen  refused  to  be  made  the 
sport  of  their  lying  diviner,  and  stayed  where  slie 
was  until  news  of  the  actual  outbreak  of  the  rebel- 
lion reached  her.  She  then  consented  to  be  borne 
to  the  capital,  where  she  expired  on  the  first  day 
of  April,  1868. 

It  must  be  said  to  her  everlasting  honor  that, 
heathen  as  she  lived  and  probably  died,  she  was 
faithful  to  the  very  last  to  all  her  pledges  of  toler- 
ation and  protection  to  the  Christians.  In  all 
'  probability  there  will  never  again  be  a  heathen 
ruler  on  the  throne  of  Madagascar.  It  will  be 
well  if  all  nominally  Christian  rulers  who  succeed 
Rasoherina  leave  behind  them  as  good  a  reputa- 
tion for  faithfulness  to  all  their  public  engage- 
ments. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


CHRISTIAX  EAXA  VALONA. 

HE  rebellious  movements  attending  the  last 
illness  and  death  of  the  queen  were  prompt- 
ly and  completely  suppressed,  and  the  young- 
est sister  of  the  late  ruler  was  elevated  to  her 
place  under  the  name  of  Ranavalona  II.  What- 
ever fearful  memories  may  have  been  called  up  by 
the  name,  they  remained  only  memories.  The  new 
Ranavalona  has  been  as  distinguished  for  Christian 
excellence  and  personal  consecration  in  her  high 
sphere  as  her  infamous  predecessor  was  for  the 
opposite.  Not  only  was  her  natural  disposition 
marked  by  amiability,  but  it  soon  gave  evidence 
of  the  transforming  power  of  divine  grace.  Rana- 
valona II.  was  the  first  Christian  ruler  of  Mad- 
agascar. 

On  the  morning  of  her  accession  to  the  throne 
she  sent  word  to  the  missionaries  that  their  privi- 
leges would  be  preserved.    The  prime  minister 

215 


216         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


wrote  them  a  letter  containing  similar  assurances. 
He  and  other  leading  men  of  intelligence  felt  that 
the  follies  of  idolatry  and  divination  were  too  in- 
consistent with  the  real  interests  of  the  nation  to 
suffer  them  any  longer  to  occupy  a  position  superior 
to  that  of  Christianity  at  the  court.  Hence  all  idols 
and  idolatrous  trappings  were  excluded  from  the 
ceremonies  of  coronation,  which  took  place  Sep- 
tember 3,  1868. 

In  fact,  it  was  a  decidedly  Christian  ceremony. 
In  place  of  the  symbols  of  heathenism,  a  hand- 
some Bible  lay  on  a  table,  with  the  laws  of  Mada- 
gascar close  beside  it,  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
queen.  On  the  four  sides  of  the  canopy  under 
which  she  sat  were  inscribed  the  four  mottoes: 
" Glory  to  God "Peace  on  Earth/'  "Good-will 
to  Man;"  "God  be  with  Us." 

The  queen's  address,  which  had  been  previously 
printed  at  the  mission-press  for  distribution  among 
the  people,  was  equally  remarkable  for  outspoken 
Christian  sentiment.  Not  only  did  she  promise  a 
just  and  merciful  rule,  but  she  quoted  the  lan- 
guage of  Scripture  as  embodying  her  ideas  upon 
the  benefits  of  good  government  and  of  obedience 
to  the  laws.  The  passages  are :  "  For  the  com- 
mandment is  a  lamp,  and  the  law  is  a  light,"  and, 


CHRISTIAN  RANAVALONA. 


217 


"  Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  upright." 
Referring  to  the  question  of  religion,  she  showed, 
perhaps  unconsciously,  the  entire  revolution  which 
had  taken  place  in  the  national  policy  by  assuring 
the  people  that  it  was  now  "  the  praying which 
would  not  be  compulsory.  It  was  the  turn  now 
of  the  idolaters  to  congratulate  themselves  that 
they  would  be  tolerated  in  Madagascar. 

The  prime  minister  followed  in  a  most  energetic 
and  well-received  speech,  which  was  in  some  parts 
v^ery  much  like  a  sermon  on  the  second  of  the  texts 
quoted  by  the  queen.  And  all  these  Christian 
demonstrations  followed  only  seven  years  after  the 
death  of  Ranavalona  I. 

Everywhere  the  changed  policy  of  the  govern- 
ment was  manifest.  One  of  the  first  acts  of  the 
new  reign,  of  course,  was  to  dispose  of  the  con- 
spirators who  had  aimed  to  overthrow  the  present 
dynasty.  The  guilt  of  a  large  number  was  estab- 
lished beyond  question.  The  queen  was  anxious 
to  avoid  all  bloodshed,  and  wished  no  lives  sacri- 
ficed in  connection  with  any  circumstances  attend- 
ing her  accession.  Once  and  again  she  called  an 
assembly  of  the  people  to  deliberate  and  advise 
with  her  as  to  the  degree  of  punishment  to  be  in- 
flicted.   A  majority  w^as  for  putting  them  to  death 


218         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

The  English  residents  made  strenuous  efforts  to 
prevent  bloodshed.  In  a  letter  which  they  ad- 
dressed to  the  prime  minister  they  quoted  some 
Scripture  passages,  among  others  this,  from  James: 
"He  shall  have  judgment  without  mercy  who  hath 
showed  no  mercy.''  This  verse  powerfully  affected 
the  mind  of  the  minister;  he  could  get  no  sleep, 
but  paced  the  room,  repeating,  These  foreigners 
bring  their  Scriptures  to  curse  me.''  The  result 
was  that  he  gave  his  advice  against  inflicting  the 
death  penalty,  and  the  queen's  merciful  policy 
prevailed.  Various  periods  of  imprisonment  were 
inflicted  instead. 

It  is  but  fair  to  say  that  some  Christians  of  in- 
fluence were  involved  in  the  plot,  which  was  purely 
political. 

The  policy  or  rather  principles  of  the  queen 
had  been  clearly  indicated  long  before  her  coro- 
nation. When  the  priests  and  idol-keepers  came 
as  such  to  acknowledge  her  sovereignty  with  the 
customary  presents,  she  declined  to  receive  them, 
saying  that  they  could  not  be  recognized  as  priests, 
but  only  as  private  citizens.  The  astrologers  and 
diviners  were  also  notified  that  they  no  longer  held 
any  official  position.  The  idol  of  Rasoherina  was 
removed  from  the  palace. 


CHRISTIAN  RANAVALONA.  219 


An  order  was  early  issued  requiring  all  govern- 
ment work  to  cease  on  Sunday.  Some  months 
afterward  a  proclamation  was  issued  closing  all 
Sunday  markets.  The  prime  minister  sent  for 
some  of  the  native  preachers,  and  instituted  di- 
vine services  in  the  court  of  the  palace.  These 
services,  consisting  of  prayer  and  converse  with 
the  queen  and  her  officers,  are  kept  up  to  the  pres- 
ent time. 

Christianity  now  entered  upon  that  triumphant 
and  uninterrupted  career  of  success  which  it  has 
ever  since  enjoyed  in  Madagascar.  All  the  places 
of  worship  were  crowded.  Respectable  families 
came  in  companies  to  attend  the  Sabbath  services. 
Officers  came  attended  by  their  subordinates.  The 
most  influential  and  the  most  humble  classes  in 
society  were  alike  drawn  to  the  house  of  God. 
Places  of  worship  were  enlarged  and  meetings 
multiplied  without  reaching  the  increasing  de- 
mands. 

There  was  indeed  at  this  time  hardly  a  family 
of  influence  or  respectability  some  at  least  of 
whose  members  were  not  professed  Christians, 
while  many  of  the  preachers  themselves  were  men 
of  rank  and  nearly  connected  with  the  royal  fam- 
ily.   Almost  all  the  intelligent  young  men  of  the 


220 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


country  were  more  or  less  under  Christian  influence 
and  instruction. 

The  missionaries,  as  may  be  imagined,  rejoiced 
with  treuibh'ng.  It  was  now  the  fashion  to  go  to 
church.  To  profess  Christianity  was  popular.  Pros- 
perity so  great,  so  unbounded,  so  sudden,  brought 
trials  almost  as  severe  as  those  of  adversity,  though 
very  different  from  them.  Grace  from  above  was 
constantly  sought,  and  all  the  care  which  men  so 
overwhelmed  with  work  could  exercise  was  used 
by  the  missionaries  in  discriuiinating  between  the 
merely  outward  and  the  genuine  cases  of  conver- 
sion. Meanwhile,  their  predominant  feeling  was 
one  of  great  joy.  They  were  sure  that  there  must 
be  an  unprecedented  amount  of  real  faith  in  the 
gospel,  even  if  they  allowed  for  some  mixture  of 
insincerity. 

Remote  provinces  felt  the  influence  of  this  great 
religious  movement.  The  government  encouraged, 
as  it  had  formerly  opposed,  the  communication  of 
the  gospel  to  distant  tribes.  Messengers  and  let- 
ters from  the  Betsileo  country,  between  two  and 
three  hundred  miles  to  the  south,  were  answered 
by  a  visit  from  two  of  the  missionaries,  Messrs. 
Fry  and  Jukes,  who  spent  two  months  of  the 
summer  of  1868  in  visiting  the  country.  They 


CHRISTIAN  RANAVALONA. 


221 


found  chapels  already  built,  congregations  gath- 
ered and  churches  organized.  Towns  with  thou- 
sands of  inhabitants  were  found  willing  to  receive 
Christian  teaching;  in  others  the  people  were  already 
meeting  for  worship  on  the  Sabbath-day,  and  idol- 
atry was  in  a  state  of  general  decay.  The  whole 
ground  seemed  ready  for  the  seed  of  gospel  truth. 

Two  years  afterward  the  same  country  was  vis- 
ited by  one  of  the  party,  Mr.  Jukes,  and  his 
journal,  which  has  been  published  in  pamphlet 
form,  gives  an  interesting  view  of  this  pioneer 
work,  and  of  the  reception  of  the  missionary  by 
the  lately  savage  and  heathen  community. 

The  spirit  of  religious  inquiry  which  he  found 
prevailing,  even  in  places  where  there  were  no 
Christians,  was  remarkable.  His  palanquin  was 
frequently  stopped  on  the  road  that  he  might  re- 
ply to  some  question  about  "  the  custom  of  the 
praying  followed  by  Christians.^'  He  was  asked 
such  questions  as  these :  "  Who  was  Jesus  "  What 
did  he  do?"  and  often  he  was  requested  to  "tell 
about  the  good  Man  who  died  to  substitute  the 
guilty."  All  this  was  done  with  evident  sincerity 
and  seriousness. 

In  the  great  forest  region  called  Tanala,  adjoin- 
ing the  Betsileo  country  on  the  east,  Mr.  Jukes  found* 


222        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

an  altogether  different  tribe  from  the  Betsileo,  su- 
perior to  them  in  courage  and  independence.  Here 
ruled  a  princess  tall,  stout  and  masculine  in  ap- 
pearance, one  of  the  most  famous  women  in  Mada- 
gascar, yet  as  gentle  and  humble  as  a  little  child. 
Brave,  true  and  of  high  governing  abilities,  she 
had  embraced  Christianity,  and  at  fifty  years  of 
age  she  was  beginning  to  learn  to  read. 

Fianarantsoa,  in  South  Betsileo,  has  for  its  gov- 
ernor a  nursing  father  of  the  Madagascar  church. 
He  is  a  man  of  sterling  character,  appointed  for 
his  goodness  as  much  as  for  any  other  qualities — in 
fact,  the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  While  faith- 
fully serving  his  queen,  his  great  desire  plainly 
is  to  advance  the  kingdom  of  Christ  among  the 
Betsileo.  He  frequently  preaches  both  in  town 
and  country,  takes  a  general  oversight  of  all  the 
churches  in  that  part  of  the  province  of  which  he 
is  governor,  has  sent  teachers  to  many  of  the  vil- 
lages, and  does  all  in  his  power,  both  by  a  consist- 
ent example  and  Christian  activity,  to  promote  the 
real  and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  nation. 

Here  the  church  grew  fivefold  in  one  year  (from 
four  hundred  to  two  thousand),  and  an  old  wooden 
shed  was  exchanged  for  a  substantial  brick  chapel, 
with  others  in  course  of  erection. 


CHRISTIAN  RANAVALONA. 


223 


Among  the  Hovas,  the  governing  people,  scat- 
tered through  this  region,  the  thirst  for  Scripture 
knowledge  was  most  intense,  so  that  the  missionary 
had  need  to  be  of  iron  rather  than  of  flesh  and 
blood  to  endure  the  pressure.  The  demand  for  the 
reading-lessons  printed  by  the  mission  was  far  be- 
yond the  supply.  Every  day,  almost  every  half 
hour  in  the  day,  people  applied  for  these  lessons, 
and  the  stock  which  had  been  reserved  for  remoter 
regions  was  speedily  distributed  among  these  im- 
portunate applicants. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


THE  MEMORIAL  CHURCHES. 

tS  already  recorded  in  our  pages,  Mr. 
Ellis  had  conceived  the  idea  of  secur- 
ing the  sites  consecrated  by  the  blood  of 
the  martyrs  and  occupying  them  with 
handsome  memorial  churches.  King  Radama  II. 
made  over  to  him  the  ground,  and  Christians  in 
England  generously  responded  to  his  appeal,  pledg- 
ing more  money  than  he  had  stated  to  be  necessary. 
An  architect,  Mr.  James  Sibree,  Jr.,  was  sent  from 
England  in  1863,  and  he  not  only  carried  the  plan 
to  a  happy  completion,  but  he  has  written  and  pub- 
lished a  full  and  valuable  narration  of  his  connection 
with  the  work,  besides  giving  an  extended  and  val- 
able  account  of  the  island  and  its  people,  which  has 
been  of  great  service  in  composing  this  volume. 

From  his  statements  we  learn  that  a  careful  sur- 
vey was  made  of  the  four  spots  in  the  city  of  An- 
tananarivo which  were  to  be  occupied  with  these 

224 


THE  MEMORIAL  CHURCHES.  225 


memorial  buildings.  The  fii-st  was  Araparaarinana, 
or  the  open  area  on  the  summit  of  the  rock  from 
the  edge  of  which  the  fourteen  martyrs  were  hurled 
in  1849.  This  spot  is  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  and 
commands  a  grand  and  extensive  view  of  the  city 
and  country  westward. 

The  second  memorable  locality  was  Ambohi- 
potsy,  at  the  southern  and  almost  the  highest  point 
in  the  city.  Here  Rasalama,  the  first  martyr,  was 
speared  to  death  in  1837. 

The  third  site  was  Ambatonakanga,  very  con- 
venient of  access  and  in  the  midst  of  a  large  popu- 
lation. The  place  is  interesting,  as  the  first  build- 
ing for  Christian  worship  in  Madagascar  was 
erected  here,  and  served  during  the  times  of  per- 
secution as  a  }>rison  for  the  suiferers.  Many  died 
there;  others  w^re  taken  thence  to  the  place  of 
execution. 

The  fourth  was  the  most  affecting  and  precious 
of  alL  The  hill  Faravohitra  was  the  scene  of  the 
burning  of  the  four  noblemen  and  the  woman  in 
the  fearful  persecution  of  1849.  Here  the  rainbow 
hung  out  its  banner  of  peace  and  love,  one  end  of 
the  arch  springing  in  the  view  of  the  people  from 
the  burning  prie.  Here,  in  digging  the  founda- 
tions of  the  church,  the  laborers  came  upon  the 

15 


226         THE  STOBY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


very  spot  where  the  woman  was  burned,  and  dug 
up  undoubted  memorials  of  the  bloody  scene,  just 
as  the  remnants  of  human  bodies  were  dug  up  in 
the  public  square  at  Madrid  not  long  since,  the 
relics  of  the  dreadful  public  burnings  of  Protest- 
ants, the  autos-da-fe  of  the  Inquisition  in  that 
city. 

Without  any  special  intention  on  the  part  of  the 
builders,  the  first  stone  of  the  church  afterward 
built  on  this  site  was  laid  exactly  under  the  spot 
where  these  ghastly  and  sorrowful  relics  were 
found. 

It  was  decided  that  the  first  of  these  churches 
should  be  built  at  Ambatonakanga,  the  site  of  the 
chapel  that  had  been  used  as  a  prison.  The  ground 
had  to  be  cleared  of  large  quantities  of  rock  lying 
loose  and  protruding  through  the  soil.  Thousands 
of  blasts  were  made  and  hundreds  of  tons  of  stones 
were  broken  up.  The  supply  of  suitable  building- 
stone  thus  furnished  lasted  for  months. 

The  architect,  considering,  among  other  things, 
the  unskilled  character  of  the  workmen  at  his  com- 
mand, chose  for  the  building  a  plain  Gorman  style, 
with  bold  and  simple  rather  than  elaborate  mould- 
ings and  details.  A  double  row  of  stone  columns 
divided  the  interior  into  nave  and  aisles,  the  main 


THE  MEMORIAL  CHURCHES.  227 


timbers  of  the  roof  being  visible  below  the  ceil- 
ings. The  uniformly  warm  climate  made  it  neces- 
sary to  put  lattice-work  instead  of  glass  in  every 
other  window,  so  as  to  secure  a  constant  draught 
of  cool  air  through  the  building.  It  was  designed 
to  accommodate  a  thousand  persons. 

The  architect's  difficulties  in  carrying  out  these 
simple  plans  were  so  great  as  to  try  his  courage 
and  patience  to  the  utmost.  Ignorant  of  the  lan- 
guage, he  found  it  very  hard  to  get  any  precise 
information.  The  government  had  a  monopoly 
of  lime,  and  the  country  round  for  thirty  or  forty 
miles  had  to  be  searched  for  the  needed  supply. 

The  workmen  were  entirely  ignorant  of  the  care- 
ful, accurate  kind  of  work  required  in  the  great 
structures  of  civilized  countries.  A  rude  stone 
masonry  was  not  uncommon.  Tombs  and  gate- 
ways of  some  pretensions  and  one  or  two  stone 
houses  for  the  late  king  had  been  built.  The 
bridges  over  a  number  of  rivers  near  the  capital 
were  also  built  of  stone  by  Radama  II.  In  their 
journey  for  lime  the  missionaries  passed  over  seve- 
ral of  these  stone  bridges,  of  which  Mr.  Sibree 
gives  an  interesting  account. 

They  cross  the  river  Ikiopa,  one  of  them  span- 
ning it  when  two  or  three  hundred  feet  wide. 


228         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


The  arches  are  of  no  uniform  size,  and  they  accom- 
modate a  footway,  not  a  carriage-road,  only  five 
feet  broad.  The  road  goes  up  and  down,  following 
the  wavy  line  of  the  arches,  and  requiring  consid- 
erable care  in  climbing  up  and  down  the  rough 
stone-work.  One  arch  had  quite  given  way  and  a 
canoe  had  been  laid  across  the  opening.  The  piers 
are  large  and  heavy,  in  some  cases  being  as  wide 
as  the  archway.  The  main  road  to  the  west  of 
the  island  passes  over  this  rude  and  yet  not  discred- 
itable piece  of  work. 

Farther  up  the  stream,  at  Tanjombato,  is  another 
bridge,  of  much  superior  workmanship.  It  con- 
sists of  ten  arches,  the  masonry  of  the  greater  part 
being  well  put  together  and  the  finish  of  the  whole 
quite  superior.  But  the  piers  seem  to  have  been 
built  on  loose  masses  of  rock  and  stone,  so  that 
they  could  not  withstand  the  undermining  influ- 
ences of  the  floods,  and  some  of  them,  as  a  conse- 
quence, now  lie  in  ruins  in  the  river.  The  pathway 
over  this  bridge  was  perfectly  level  and  smooth. 

There  are  several  other  bridges  in  this  direction, 
all  built  by  Radaraa  II.  before  he  became  king, 
during  the  lifetime  of  his  mother,  Ranavalona  I. 
Eadama  and  his  young  associates  at  this  time 
showed  great  interest  in  improving  the  means  of 


THE  MEMORIAL  CHURCHES.  229 


communication  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  capital. 
Considering  that  the  whole  work  was  done  by  the 
natives,  and  that  their  only  guides  were  such  pic- 
tures of  bridges  as  they  had  found  in  English 
books,  these  structures  were  wonderful  proofs  of 
the  industrial  aptitudes  of  the  Madagascar  people. 

But  these  aptitudes  required  training,  and  the 
large  building  on  which  the  Avorkmen  were  now 
engaged  with  Mr.  Sibree  required  the  exercise  of 
an  art  of  which  they  had  yet  to  learn  the  "A, 
B,  C."  This  Mr.  Sibree  had,  in  fact,  to  teach 
them.  They  had  no  idea  of  the  necessity  of  hav^- 
ing  everything  square  and  level  and  smooth.  It 
was  very  difficult  to  get  even  the  more  intelligent 
to  understand  the  use  of  the  level  and  the  plumb- 
line.  The  architect  had  to  watch  every  course  of 
stone,  lest  it  should  overlap  the  one  underneath 
three  or  four  inches ;  and  if  not  skilled  in  doing 
their  work,  they  were  as  sharp  as  any  civilized 
man  in  slighting  it.  To  save  trouble  they  would 
put  in  bad  material  so  slyly  that  only  constant  in- 
spection would  detect  it.  • 

Thus  the  architect  had  his  hands  and  eyes  full. 
Besides  being  architect,  he  also  found  himself  com- 
pelled to  act  as  contractor,  builder,  clerk  and  fore- 
man.   He  was  much  hampered  too  by  the  fixed 


230        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

traditional  modes  of  working,  which  the  natives 
persisted  in  practicing  as  obstinately  as  if  they 
were  under  the  control  of  a  trades-union.  Every 
man  quarried  his  own  blocks,  dressed  them  and 
then  built  them  into  the  walls,  and  for  a  long  time 
division  of  labor  could  not  be  introduced.  If  one 
of  the  workmen  left,  no  one  would  touch  the  part 
of  the  wall  where  he  had  labored,  though  he  might 
be  gone  for  weeks.  Ugly  gaps  would  thus  be  left 
in  the  walling,  and  there  was  nothing  to  be  done 
but  to  wait  for  the  return  of  the  idlers.  Only 
twenty  or  thirty  men  could  be  got  at  any  one  time. 
Much  as  the  natives  love  money,  they  love  their 
ease  more,  and  so  the  work  frequently  stood  still 
altogether. 

Food  was  abundant  and  living  cheap.  ^N'o  one 
was,  therefore,  obliged  to  work  long  at  any  occu- 
pation. As  soon  as  a  man  had  earned  a  few  dol- 
lars he  would  go  oflP  and  attend  to  household  affairs. 
In  fact,  as  there  was  little  or  no  division  of  labor 
in  the  community,  it  was  expected  that  every  man 
would  give  pergonal  attention  to  so  much  farm- 
work  as  was  necessary  to  support  his  family. 

Whenever  a  marriage,  a  birth  or  a  funeral  oc- 
curred among  the  family  connexions,  each  man 
took  a  holiday,  and  these  occurred  so  often  that 


THE  MEMORIAL  CHURCHES.  231 


the  architect  began  to  think  that  everybody  in  the 
capital  was  related  to  everybody  else.  Then  the 
government  or  some  superior  would  call  off  the 
workmen  at  their  pleasure  to  do  some  enforced  and 
unpaid  work.  Mr.  Sibree  had  hardly  commenced 
his  church  when  the  prime  minister  and  the  com- 
mander-in-chief each  began  to  put  up  a  new  house. 
One  morning  when  he  went  down  to  the  church 
there  was  not  a  man  at  work.  The  officers  had 
made  a  clean  sweep,  taking  his  foreman  along;  it 
was  months  before  he  got  him  back  again.  The 
queen,  too,  was  building  a  new  palace,  and  all  the 
skilled  workmen  in  the  country  were  required  to 
be  in  attendance,  although  perhaps  not  a  t^nth 
part  of  them  could  actually  have  been  at  w^ork  at 
any  one  time.  It  was  at  some  risk  to  themselves 
that  either  masons  or  carpenters  dared  be  seen 
w^orking  for  their  own  benefit  when  public  build- 
ings w^ere  going  up. 

Then  the  men  were  liable  to  be  called  off  on 
military  duty.  At  one  time,  in  1866,  when  there 
were  fears  of  a  French  invasion,  there  was  con- 
stant drilling  and  marching  for  several  weeks. 
Hardly  a  stone  was  laid  at  this  time  for  two 
months. 

Not  only  was  the  lime  scarce  and  brought  from 


232 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


a  distance,  but  sometimes  when  it  was  obtained  it 
was  good  for  nothing  from  adulteration  with  white 
clay.  Timber  had  to  be  dragged  for  many  miles 
from  the  forests,  and  often  it  cost  more  than  in 
England.  Fortunately,  they  bought  a  large  house 
which  supplied  them  with  a  large  amount  of  ex- 
cellent timber  for  roofs,  doors  and  window-frames. 

The  tower  and  spire,  eighty  feet  in  height  from 
the  ground,  was  a  vast  undertaking  for  the  untu- 
tored natives.  As  it  arose  gradually  above  the 
rest  of  the  building,  crow^ds  stopped  to  gaze  and 
admire  and  guess  at  its  meaning.  Some  thought 
the  belfry  windows  were  cannon-ports,  and  that  the 
English  on  the  island  were  providing  a  place  of 
safety  in  case  of  disturbance.  Others  imagined 
that  some  scheme  for  gaining  political  power  was 
connected  with  the  building.  Others  unbeliev- 
ingly shook  their  heads,  and  said  if  it  was  ever 
finished  they  would  become  Christians. 

The  workmen  were  with  difficulty  persuaded 
to  continue  on  the  tower  as  it  gained  in  height. 
Wives  and  children  would  come  and  beg  to  have 
them  sent  down  from  such  fearful  heights.  Yet 
no  accident  occurred,  and  the  scaffolding  was  taken 
down  in  safety.  No  wonder  when  the  capstone 
was  at  last  laid,  in  August,  1866,  that  the  native 


Ambatonakanga  Memorial  Church. 


Page  233. 


THE  MEMORIAL  CHURCHES.  233 


foreman,  who  was  a  deacon  of  the  church,  proposed 
that  then  and  there,  on  the  scaffold  at  the  very  top, 
they  should  unite  in  giving  thanks  for  the  safe  and 
happy  completion  of  the  work.  All  took  off  their 
hats,  while  the  good  deacon  led  in  prayer.  It  was 
market  day,  and  numbers  of  the  people  passing 
looked  up  in  wonder  at  the  little  group  of  wor- 
shipers at  the  top  of  the  spire. 

Their  thankfulness  was  deepened  by  the  fact 
that  two  men  had  been  killed  by  falls  from  the 
scaffolding  of  the  queen's  new  palace  but  a  few 
months  before,  while  not  the  slightest  injury  had 
been  experienced  by  their  workmen.  Had  it  been 
otherwise,  the  church  in  all  probability  would  never 
have  been  completed. 

It  was  very  slow  work.  The  digging  was  com- 
menced in  April,  1863.  The  first  stone  of  the 
foundation  was  laid  in  January,  1864,  by  the 
prime  minister  of  Queen  Rasoherina.  The  top 
stone  of  the  spire  completing  the  mason  work 
was  laid  with  thanksgiving  and  prayer  more 
than  two  years  and  a  half  afterward,  August  31, 
1866.  The  building  was  finally  completed  and 
dedicated  January  22,  1867,  nearly  four  years 
after  breaking  ground  for  the  foundation. 

Simplicity  in  detail  and  general  effectiveness  of 


234 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR, 


impression  were  the  aims  of  the  architect,  in  which 
he  seems  to  have  been  entirely  successful.  The 
finest  Protestant  churches  on  heathen  soil  are  un- 
doubtedly those  of  Madagascar.  With  clock  on  the 
tower,  and  rising  in  fair  proportions  and  of  durable 
materials  over  the  mass  of  native  dwellings,  upon 
the  most  commanding  and  memorable  sites  in  the 
metropolis,  they  are  every  way  powerful  witnesses — 
silent  but  perpetual  teachers  of  the  victorious  na- 
ture of  the  religion  of  Jesus. 

For  more  than  a  year  before  completing  this 
church  at  Ambatonakanga  the  architect  and  part 
of  his  force  had  been  busy  upon  the  second  of 
these  memorial  structures  at  Ambohipotsy.  This 
was  the  spot  consecrated  by  the  death  of  the  first 
martyr,  Rasalama,  almost  the  highest  ground  in 
the  city  and  commanding  a  view  of  one  of  the 
grandest  and  most  charming  landscapes  in  Mada- 
gascar, or  perhaps  anywhere  else. 

Here  the  difficulties  were  much  lessened.  The 
workmen  were  beginning  to  show  their  English 
training.  An  assistant  had  also  been  sent  out  to 
Mr.  Sibree,  who  had  gained  in  experience  of  the 
native  ch  racter  and  native  ways.  He  indulged 
himself,  accordingly,  in  a  more  elaborate  design 
than  before.    Besides  nave  and  aisles,  he  provided 


A  Madagascar  Dwelling. 

Page 


THE  MEMORIAL  CHURCHES.  235 

for  a  transept  giving  the  shape  of  the  cross  to  the 
whole.  The  very  commanding  situation  made  a 
little  more  style  desirable.  The  church  is  a  land- 
mark for  an  immense  distance  all  around  the  capi- 
tal. It  strikes  the  eye  of  the  traveler  on  the  vast 
plains  to  the  east,  west  and  south  of  the  city  long 
before  any  other  object  can  be  distinguished.  Its 
proportions  and  general  appearance  are  command- 
ing and  beautiful.  The  enterprise  of  the  architect 
was  rewarded  by  a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 

On  the  seventeenth  of  November,  1868,  it  was 
opened  for  public  worship.  The  new  queen,  Rana- 
valona  II.,  and  her  court  showed  their  interest  in 
the  work  by  sending  word  previously  that  they 
intended  to  be  present  at  the  opening.  A  seat  was 
provided  for  the  queen,  and  she  was  admitted  to 
the  building  before  any  of  the  congregation  had 
entered.  After  the  crowd  had  entered  and  the 
national  anthem  had  been  sung,  the  prime  minis- 
ter made  an  address  in  which  he  urged  the  people 
to  become  Christians.  He  met  a  common  objec- 
tion among  the  natives.  '^By  becoming  Chris- 
tians," he  said,  "you  are  not  worshiping  the  ances- 
tors of  the  white  people,  but  the  God  who  created 
us  all  and  Christ  who  died  to  take  away  our  guilt." 

The  services  then  proceeded  in  the  usual  way, 


236        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

the  Bible  in  use  having  been  lent  by  the  quten 
in  place  of  the  old  and  worn  copy  which  she  had 
seen  lying  on  the  pulpit.  A  nephew  of  the  prime 
minister  offered  prayer.  The  queen  was  saluted 
by  the  congregation  as  they  retired. 

The  whole  scene  was  memorable.  The  people 
contemplated  the  large  and,  for  Madagascar,  truly 
magnificent  building  with  astonishment.  Only  a 
little  more  than  seven  years  before,  the  persecuting 
reign  of  the  first  Ranavalona  had  come  to  an  end. 
Thirty-one  years  ago  the  first  Christian  martyr  had 
yielded  up  her  life  on  this  now  beautiful  spot. 
Those  terrible  scenes  have  passed  away.  The  tri- 
umphs of  the  wicked  seem  long,  but  the  solid  and 
durable  and  stately  buildings  erected  on  the  very 
field  of  those  triumphs  already  have  made  that 
quarter  century  of  persecution  seem  a  very  brief 
period,  and  they  promise  to  bear  witness  to  many 
future  generations  of  the  grander,  and  as  we  may 
trust  final,  triumph  of  Christianity  in  the  once 
dark  island. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  Q  UEEN  AND  PRIME 
MINISTER. 

HE  queen  continued  to  give  the  best  evi- 
dence of  a  personal  interest  in  the  religion 
of  Jesus.  Twice  every  Sunday  services 
were  held  in  the  palace  by  native  preach- 
ers in  the  presence  of  the  queen,  the  prime  minis- 
ter, many  officers,  the  children  of  nobles  and  the 
attendants  of  the  court.  The  Madagascar  New 
Year,  which  was  celebrated  January  twenty-first, 
1869,  and  which  had  formerly  been  the  occasion 
of  idolatrous  ceremonies,  now  was  made  a  Chris- 
tian festival.  The  native  preachers  engaged  in 
prayer,  and  the  queen's  address  contained  the 
words,  "  I  have  brought  my  kingdom  to  lean  upon 
God,  and  I  expect  you,  one  and  all,  to  be  wise  and 
just,  and  to  walk  in  the  ways  of  God.'' 

It  was  not  surprising  that  exactly  a  month  after- 
ward the  greatest  public  event  in  the  progress  of 

237 


238        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

Christianity  in  Madagascar — the  revolution,  in  fact, 
which  made  the  government  a  Christian  instead  of 
a  neutral  or  a  heathen  one — took  place.  On  the 
twenty-first  of  February,  the  queen  and  the  prime 
minister  were  publicly  baptized  by  Andriambelo, 
one  of  the  native  preachers.  All  the  high  officers 
and  nobles  of  the  country,  the  chief  men  of  the 
people  and  the  preachers  of  the  city  churches  were 
present  by  invitation,  and  were  greatly  moved  by 
the  spectacle.  The  queen  and  the  prime  minister 
shared  in  the  deep  and  general  emotion.  Tears  of 
wonder  and  joy  were  shed  at  such  a  scene  in  the 
courtyard  of  a  palace  whence  but  a  few  years  be- 
fore had  issued  the  bloodiest  edicts  against  the 
Christians,  urged  on  by  the  fury  of  another  Ran- 
avalona,  and  carried  into  execution  perhaps  by 
some  of  the  very  officers,  or  by  the  fathers  or 
brothers  of  the  very  officers,  now  gathered  to  wit- 
ness the  public  renunciation  of  all  idolatry  and  the 
avowing  of  faith  in  Jesus  .Christ  and  association 
with  his  followers  by  the  sovereign  and  prime 
minister  of  the  kingdom. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  no  direct  influence 
was  exerted  by  the  missionaries  to  bring  about  this 
result.  Some  of  them  were  entirely  ignorant  that 
the  s^ep  was  contemplated  until  all  had  been  ar- 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  QUEEN.  239 

ranged.  The  whole  service  was  conducted  by  na- 
tive pastors.  None  but  native  preachers  had  con- 
ducted the'  services  at  the  palace  already  spoken 
of.  Thus  not  only  would  the  French  priests  have 
no  plea  for  admission  to  the  palace,  and  for  oppor- 
tunity to  exert  their  influence  upon  the  court,  but 
the  general  impression  upon  the  native  population 
in  favor  of  Christianity  would  be  far  more  effective 
and  satisfactory. 

The  queen  and  prime  minister  passed  through  a 
regular  examination,  as  any  of  their  subjects  would 
have  done,  before  being  admitted  to  baptism.  This 
was  conducted  by  native  preachers,  and  was  de- 
clared by  them  to  be  satisfactory.  In  the  conver- 
sation it  came  out  that  the  queen  owed  her  first 
serious  impressions  to  the  faithfulness  of  a  native 
Christian  to  her  soul  when  she  was  a  mere  child. 
It  was  during  the  reign  of  the  first  Ranavalona, 
when  fear  closed  the  lips  of  very  many  Christians, 
making  them  especially  cautious  of  speaking  of 
their  religion  to  any  of  the  royal  family,  that  An- 
driantoiamba,  one  of  the  four  noblemen  who  were 
afterward  burned  for  their  religion,  ventured  to 
speak  to  the  girl  about  the  Saviour  and  the  salva- 
tion of  her  soul.  That  was  her  first  introduction 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God.    Little  did  the 


240         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

future  martyr  comprehend  the  great  blessing  to  the 
island  which  was  to  spring  from  the  small  seed  he 
was  then  planting. 

The  prime  minister  also  gave  the  native  preach- 
ers an  interesting  account  of  his  own  experience. 
During  the  same  period  of  tribulation  he  received 
a  copy  of  the  Scriptures  from  one  of  the  last  of  the 
martyrs,  and  he  used  to  keep  it  hid  within  the 
courtyard,  in  a  part  of  the  enclosure  where  the 
queen  kept  her  fighting  bulls. 

Thus  the  precious  sheaves  were  already  being 
gathered  in  joy  from  seed  sown  in  tears  and  blood. 

The  day  after  her  baptism  the  queen  gave  a 
feast  to  the  assembly  which  had  witnessed  the  cere- 
mony, when  she  and  the  prime  minister  expressed 
the  joy  they  felt  at  the  solemn  transaction.  From 
that  time  the  native  preachers  report  their  progress 
in  scriptural  knowledge  and  Christian  attainments 
as  highly  satisfactory.  On  the  sixth  of  June, 
nearly  four  months  after  the  baptism,  they  joined 
in  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  thus 
fully  identified  themselves  with  the  people  of 
God. 

They  had  been  united  in  marriage  two  days  be- 
fore the  baptism.  Thus  they  set  a  much-needed 
example  to  the  whole  people  of  the  sanctity  of 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  QUEEN.  241 

domestic  ties  and  of  the  proper  relations  between 
man  and  woman. 

With  this  example  of  public  and  seemingly  sin- 
cere profession  of  Christianity  on  the  part  of  their 
highest  rulers,  there  appeared  naturally  enough, 
among  the  Madagascar  people,  a  fresh  and  mighty 
development  of  the  already  deep  interest  in  relig- 
ious things.  There  was  much  of  mere  sympathy, 
much  of  mere  conformity  to  what  had  become  fash- 
ionable, and  had  gained  power  and  standing  with 
the  great ;  but  as  the  conversion  of  the  queen  and 
her  husband  was  so  clearly  free  from  mere  human 
interposition,  and  bore  such  convincing  marks  of 
evangelical  simplicity  and  reality,  so  the  religious 
movement,  whicli  now  began  anew,  had  all  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  genuine  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Indeed,  the  conversion  of  these  high  personages 
may  be  viewed  simply  as  incidents,  leading  inci- 
dents, in  the  general  revival  which  now  visited 
this  thrice-blessed  field.  The  interest  and  inquiry 
which  appeared  are  described  by  Rev.  Mr.  Ellis  as 
contemporaneous  indeed,  but  not  immediately  con- 
nected, with  those  baptisms.  Not  only  in  the  coun- 
try around  the  capital,  but  in  remote  parts  of  the 
provinces,  men's  minds  were  exercised  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion.    Inquirers  came  in  numbers  to 

16 


242        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

the  abodes  of  the  missionaries.  Bible  classes  and 
other  religious  meetings  were  thronged.  Among 
these  crowds  appeared  the  most  unlikely  persons — 
gray-haired  idolaters,  astrologers  and  diviners — 
whose  lives  had  been  devoted  to  maintaining  the 
cruel  superstitions  of  the  country. 

Following  the  example  of  the  queen,  almost  all 
the  higher  officers  of  the  government  came  forward 
as  candidates  for  baptism.  More  than  a  hundred 
of  them  were  under  instruction  at  the  same  time. 
Among  them  were  the  chief  of  the  idol-keepers, 
the  astrologer  of  Queen  Rasoherina,  several  mem- 
bers of  the  queen's  household,  and  others  in  high 
positions,  many  of  them  in  the  declining  years  of 
life. 

Congregations  multiplied  at  a  rate  utterly  sur- 
passing all  means  of  accommodation.  One  hun- 
dred new  or  greatly  enlarged  chapels  and  churches 
were  needed  at  once,  one-third  of  which  would  be 
required  to  accommodate  from  eight  to  twelve  hun- 
dred persons  each.  It  was  useless  to  speak  of  fully- 
qualified  teachers  in  numbers  sufficient  to  meet  the 
demands  of  those  seeking  light.  The  missionaries 
made  use  of  the  best  native  aid  that  could  be  com- 
manded, and  pressed  forward  their  measures  for 
training  up  competent  native  pastors.  Thirty-four 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  QUEEN.  243 

regular  students  were  under  instruction  during  tlie 
early  part  of  the  year. 

The  average  attendance  at  all  places  of  worship  i 
was  thirty-seven  thousand — an  increase  of  about 
sixteen  thousand  in  the  year.    The  number  of 
communicants  was  about  seven  thousand,  at  one 
hundred  and  fifty  stations. 

Great  help  was  afforded  in  these  circumstances 
by  the  presence  of  three  English  Friends,  who  had 
been  sent  out  as  missionaries  by  their  society,  and 
whose  truly  evangelical  and  catholic  spirit  en- 
deared them  to  their  brethren  of  the  London  So- 
ciety, with  whom  they  worked  in  the  most  entire 
harmony. 

On  the  twentieth  of  July  the  corner-stone  of  a 
chapel,  designed  for  her  own  use  and  that  of  her 
family  and  court,  was  laid  by  the  queen  in  the 
courtyard  of  the  palace.  Mr.  William  Pool,  who 
had  been  sent  out  to  aid  Mr.  Sibree  at  the  request 
of  the  government,  had  undertaken  its  erection. 
The  ceremonies  commenced  at  an  early  hour  of 
the  day,  the  queen  being  at  her  place  a  little  after 
eight  o'clock.  The  missionaries  were  present  by 
special  invitation.  The  queen's  guard  kept  order 
amid  the  great  throng  of  people  who  were  after- 
ward admitted. 


244       THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


After  prayer  by  the  native  preacher,  the  prime 
minister  read  the  following  document : 

"  By  the  power  of  God  and  grace  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  I,  Ranavalomanjaka,  queen  of  Mad- 
agascar, founded  this  house  of  prayer  on  the  thir- 
teenth Adimizana  (twentieth  July),  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  1869,  as  a  house  of  prayer  for 
the  service  of  God,  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords, 
according  to  the  word  in  the  sacred  Scriptures,  by 
Jesus  Christ  the  Lord,  who  died  for  the  sins  of  all 
men,  and  rose  again  for  the  justification  and  sal- 
vation of  all  who  believe  in  and  love  him. 

"  For  these  reasons  this  stone  house,  founded  by 
me  as  a  house  of  prayer,  cannot  be  destroyed  by 
any  one,  whoever  may  be  king  of  this  my  land,  for 
ever  and  for  ever,  but  if  he  shall  destroy  this  house 
of  prayer  to  God  which  I  have  founded,  then  is 
he  not  king  of  my  land,  Madagascar. 

"  Wherefore  I  have  signed  my  name,  with  my 
hand  and  the  seal  of  the  kingdom. 

"  Ranavalomanjaka, 

"  Queen  of  Madagascar. 

"  This  word  is  genuine,  and  the  signature  by  the 
hand  of  Ranavalomanjaka  is  genuine. 

"  Rainilaiarivony, 

"  Prime  Minister  and  Commander-in-chief  of  Madagascar." 


CONVERSION  OF  THE  QUEEN.  245 

Mr.  William  Pool,  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society ,  made  the  designs  of  this  house  of  prayer. 

The  document  was  well  written,  and  signed  in  a 
good  bold  hand  by  the  queen.  After  it  had  been 
read  it  was  deposited  in  a  bottle  in  the  corner- 
stone, which  was  laid  by  the  queen  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  Prayer 
was  then  offered,  and  a  thousand  printed  copies  of 
the  document  were  distributed  among  the  people. 

The  old  native  prejudices  in  regard  to  witchcraft 
made  them  unwilling  to  have  a  bottle  placed  in  the 
corner-stone  of  the  first  memorial  church.  But  the 
queen's  own  act  in  regard  to  the  corner-stone  of  the 
chapel  royal  shows  that  she  did  not  share  in  the 
remnants  of  these  superstitious  feelings.  Orders 
were  given  to  the  architect  to  engrave  the  whole 
statement  in  gilded  letters  upon  two  large  stone 
tablets  forming  part  of  the  surbase  of  the  build- 
ing. Prayer  was  offered  by  a  native  pastor,  and 
the  services  were  concluded  by  the  customary  acts 
of  homage  and  offer  of  tribute — a  silver  dollar — 
to  the  queen. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  IDOLS. 

LL  this  time  the  idols  continued  to  exist 
They  had  their  keepers,  priests  and  follow- 
ers. The  towns  in  which  they  belonged, 
the  enclosures  which  they  occupied,  were 
held  sacred.  Idolatry  was  still  a  living  fact  by 
the  side  of  the  advancing  religion  of  the  Bible. 
The  priests  and  keepers  indeed  had  no  recognition 
from  the  government.  They  no  longer  had  the 
power  of  life  and  death,  as  formerly,  over  their 
countrymen.  They  were  no  longer  above  all  the 
laws  of  the  land.  They  could  no  longer  claim  the 
titles  of  nobles  nor  carry  the  scarlet  umbrella,  the 
badge  of  royalty. 

The  new  queen  had  changed  all  that.  She  had 
taken  away  all  these  vast  powers,  all  these  digni- 
ties. The  priests  were  made  liable  to  government 
service,  in  the  army  and  elsewhere,  like  any  other 

246 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  IDOLS.  247 


subjects.  They  were  notified  that  they  must  take 
their  places  with  the  rest  as  common  citizens. 

Still,  the  idols  were  unmolested.  The  priests 
probably  might  have  continued  to  keep  and  to 
worship  them,  and  to  maintain  their  influence  to 
the  best  of  their  ability  among  the  people,  if  they 
could  quietly  have  borne  their  own  altered  and  less 
exalted  position.  That,  however,  was  too  much  for 
human  nature  in  Madagascar  or  anywhere  else. 
Besides,  so  long  as  the  queen  continued  to  tolerate 
the  idols  and  idol-worship,  they  continued  to  hope 
that  her  conversion  to  Christianity  might  turn  out 
to  be  a  mere  notion  or  whim.  By  and  by  they 
might  think,  "  Our  queen  will  get  tired  of  these  for- 
eign customs  and  practices.  The  old  native  feel- 
ings will  revive,  and  she  will  come  back  to  the 
customs  of  her  ancestors." 

Influenced  probably  by  these  feelings,  the  people 
of  the  sacred  village  of  Anibohimanambola,  where 
the  Kelimalaza,  the  greatest  of  all  the  idols,  was 
kept,  paid  a  visit  to  the  queen  on  the  eignth  of 
September,  1869,  and  urged  her  to  return  to  the 
worship  of  her  ancestors'  great  idol.  They  also 
claimed  their  ancient  privileges  as  keepers  of  Keli- 
malaza. The  keepers  said  that  though  the  queen 
did  not  use  her  idols  th^y  were  still  in  their  keep- 


248 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


iiig,  and  therefore  they  ought  not  to  be  required  to 
do  public  work  with  the  rest  of  the  people.  They 
added,  in  the  way  of  warning,  that  if  the  queen 
did  not  return  to  the  worship  of  her  ancestors,  the 
idol  had  "  medicine  that  killed  " — i.  e,,  poison. 

The  queen  regarded  these  remonstrances  as  trea- 
sonable, and  as  likely  to  work  upon  the  remaining 
idolatrous  prejudices  of  the  people  in  a  way  to  give 
trouble.  Her  answer,  however,  was  not  one  that 
was  prompted  by  reasons  of  state,  but  such  as 
would  come  naturally  from  the  first  impulses  of  a 
Christian  ruler.  "  The  idols,"  said  the  queen,  "  have 
never  been  mine.  My  purpose  is  to  trust  in  God, 
and  to  lead  my  kingdom  to  do  the  same.  You  will 
soon  hear  my  word  about  the  idols." 

The  remonstrants  did  not  wait  for  her  reply,  but 
concluded  that  it  was  best  for  them  to  hasten  back 
to  their  village.  The  queen  immediately  called  a 
council,  reiterated  her  determination  to  uphold  the 
religion  of  Jesus  and  asked  the  advice  of  her  offi- 
cers. No  doubt  the  idols  would  have  been  de- 
stroyed sooner  or  later,  probably  at  the  completion 
of  the  chapel  royal,  but  the  crisis  had  been  has- 
tened by  the  disloyal  and  insolent  attitude  of  the 
priests,  and  something  must  plainly  be  done  now. 

One  of  the  officers  said  that  the  best  course 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  IDOLS,  249 


would  be  to  burn  them.  The  assembly  approved 
the  suggestion,  and  a  party  of  officers  was  despatched 
on  horseback  to  the  village  to  put  it  into  execution. 
So  prompt  was  the  decision,  and  so  carefully  did 
all  perform  their  parts,  that  the  queen's  messengers 
reached  the  idol-village  before  the  priests  and 
keepers  got  home  to  tell  the  failure  of  their  errand. 
The  officers  rode  their  horses  into  the  sacred  en- 
closure, where  such  animals  had  never  before  been 
allowed. 

The  people  could  not  be  persuaded  to  come  near 
the  officers  when  they  learned  their  errand.  One 
man  carried  some  charms  into  the  idol-house, 
which  he  said  would  prevent  the  officers  from  dis- 
covering the  god.  This  did  not  in  the  least  hinder 
them  from  entering  and  bringing  out  the  rough 
chest,  made  out  of  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  which  con- 
tained the  once  dreaded  object  of  worship,  now 
seen  to  be  a  mere  bundle  of  sticks  and  silk  rags, 
scarcely  good-looking  enough  to  be  the  toy  of  a 
poor  child  who  would  be  satisfied  with  a  rag  baby. 
When  all  the  silly  trappings  had  been  brought  out, 
the  chief  officer  asked  of  the  priests,  "To  whom 
does  this  idol  belong?  Is  it  yours,  or  is  it  the 
queen's  ?"  "  The  queen's,"  was  the  necessary  reply 
of  the  priests.    "  Then  saith  the  queen,  If  this  is 


250        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAB. 

mine,  I  shall  burn  my  idols,  for  my  kingdom  rests 
upon  God.  My  ancestors  through  lack  of  know- 
ledge trusted  in  idol-worship,  but  my  trust  is  in 
God/' 

The  keepers  were  then  ordered  to  bring  fuel,  but 
every  one  of  them  refused.  The  attendants  of  the 
officers  then  brought  the  wood,  and  amid  the  frantic 
terror  of  the  keepers,  who  had  declared  that  the 
idol  was  too  sacred  and  powerful  to  be  harmed,  the 
match  was  applied,  and  soon  the  famous  ancient 
national  idol  in  whose  name  all  the  great  island 
had  been  filled  with  terror  and  deluged  with  blood 
was  a  little  heap  of  ashes. 

Orders  were  sent  to  treat  the  other  national  idols 
the  same  way,  and  the  next  day  a  general  icono- 
clasm  commenced;  officers  were  scattered  all  over 
Imerina  engaged  in  the  work  of  destruction.  The 
idols  were  utterly  abolished.  Christianity  had 
been  forbidden  by  public  proclamation  on  the  first 
of  March,  1835,  by  the  first  Ranavalona;  idolatry 
was  abolished  on  the  ninth  of  September,  1869,  by 
the  second.  The  suppression  of  Christianity  filled 
the  land  with  mourning;  the  overthrow  of  idolatry 
was  accepted  with  joy  by  the  entire  mass  of  the 
people. 

SoDie,  inde^^d,  were  found  who  expressed  fear  that 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  IDOLS.  251 

their  rice-crops  would  be  destroyed  by  the  hail  now 
that  the  gods  who  had  protected  them  were  gone, 
but  these  were  few  in  number,  and  their  fears  were 
lost  amid  the  general  rejoicing  of  the  emancipated 
people.  The  heads  of  the  people  told  the  queen 
that,  as  she  was  burning  her  idols,  they  would  burn 
theirs.  BasketsfuU  of  rubbish  were  thus  con- 
sumed— rubbish  which  had  been  very  sacred  in  the 
eyes  of  the  natives  who  stood  round  the  fires 
scarcely  daring  to  believe  it  possible  that  their 
cherished  household  gods  could  thus  be  destroyed. 

On  the  eighth  of  September,  the  very  day  of 
the  council  which  determined  upon  the  destruction 
of  the  idols,  the  prime  minister  wrote  a  letter  to 
Rev.  William  Ellis  which  deserves  a  place  here. 
Some  of  the  earlier  paragraphs  are  omitted.  The 
prime  minister  says : 

"  Truly  rejoicing  is  it  to  behold  the  deportment 
of  the  people  at  Antananarivo  on  the  Sabbath  day. 
Scarcely  is  any  one  to  be  seen  in  the  streets  until 
the  close  of  the  public  worship,  because  the  great 
majority  of  the  people  assemble  in  the  houses  of 
prayer.  No  public  work  is  done  on  that  joyful 
day. 

"  And  this,  my  friend,  is  another  fresh  cause  of 
rejoicing  here.    On  the  same  day  that  I  write  this 


252         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


letter  to  you  the  queen  sent  for  the  officers  and  the 
heads  (of  the  people)  to  come  within  the  court  of 
the  palace,  and  when  they  were  assembled,  the 
queen  said,  *  I  shall  not  lean  upon  nor  trust  again 
in  the  idols,  for  they  are  blocks  of  wood,  but  upon 
God  and  Jesus  Christ  do  I  now  lean  and  trust. 
And  as  for  the  idols  (viz.,  the  national  idols),  I 
shall  burn  them,  or  cause  them  to  be  burned,  for 
they  do  no  good  whatever ;  they  are  all  deceit  and 
falsehood/ 

"  And  when  the  people  heard  this,  they  expressed 
their  pleasure,  and  asked  the  queen  if  she  would 
summon  a  kabar  or  general  assembly,  to  cause  all 
the  idols  of  the  people  to  be  burned. 

"  The  queen  answered,  and  said,  *  That  would 
please  me;  I  have  no  desire  that  there  should  be 
idols  any  more  in  my  kingdom.  Nevertheless,  I 
do  not  force  or  compel  you,  my  people.' 

"  Then  agreed  or  consented  the  people  there  be- 
fore the  queen  to  the  burning  of  all  the  national 
idols  in  Madagascar,  and  the  queen,  consenting,  re- 
joiced. And  on  the  same  day  the  queen  sent  offi- 
cers to  burn  all  the  idols  of  the  queen  which  are 
called  Rakelimalaza,  Rafantaka,  Ramanjakatsiroa, 
Ramahavaly,  etc.,  etc.  And  they  were  all  burned, 
and  some  of  the  people  also  burned  theirs. 


VESTRUOTION  OF  THE  IDOLS.  253 

"  And  astonished  to  the  utmost  were  the  keepers 
of  the  idols  when  they  saw  the  idols  in  the  flames, 
for  they  had  said  that  the  idols  were  too  sacred  and 
powerful  to  be  affected  by  the  burning. 

"That  was  a  new  thing  here;  therefore  we  sin- 
cerely thank  God,  for  he  has  manifested  his  power 
here  in  Madagascar.  And  (we  thank  Ood  also) 
because  he  has  given  to  the  queen  a  true  heart  to 
put  away  the  root  of  belief  in  things  that  are 
nothing. 

"  I  rejoiced  when  I  heard  that  you  (the  Chris- 
tians in  England)  prayed  unto  God  for  me.  For 
that  I  thank  you  indeed,  greatly.  May  the  bless- 
ing of  God  be  with  you ! 

"  I  visit  you  and  your  family,  and  my  desire  for 
you  is  that  God  may  bless  you.  Saith  your  true 
friend, 

"  Rainialaiarivony,  FnTne  Minutei\^^ 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  IDOLS.—RELIGIOUS  BE- 
LIEF OF  THE  NATIVES. 

HAT  were  these  idols  of  Madagascar,  tiie 
objects  of  so  much  superstitious  dread,  the 
causes  of  such  prolonged  and  cruel  perse- 
cution? Mr.  Ellis  saw  them  brought  out 
on  a  public  occasion,  and  tells  us  how  insignificant 
they  were  in  form  and  appearance.  Nothing  can 
be  expected  to  look  very  dignified  when  hanging 
from  the  end  of  a  fishing-pole,  yet  this  was  exactly 
the  way  in  which  these  terrible,  death-dealing,  awe- 
inspiring  objects  were  carried.  They  were  not,  in 
fact,  worthy  of  any  better  mode  of  conveyance,  as 
they  were  composed  chiefly  of  dirty  pieces  of  silver 
chain,  small  silver  balls,  pieces  of  coral,  silver  or- 
naments representing  crocodiles'  teeth,  with  strips 
of  scarlet  cloth ;  among  them  was  an  article  of  red 
woolen  material  resembling  the  cap  of  liberty. 
Others  were  tied  up  in  small  baskets  or  bags,  and 

254 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  IDOLS.  2G5 


were  possibly  only  charms  or  emblems  of  the  idols. 
On  these  miserable,  shabby  toys  the  safety  and  wel- 
fare of  the  nation  were  supposed  to  depend,  and  for 
refusing  to  worship  them  many  of  the  best  citizens 
of  the  land  had  been  subjected  to  banishment, 
slavery,  torture  and  deaths 

The  principal  idols  were  ten  or  twelve  in  num- 
ber, three  or  four  of  these  being  reckoned  the  chief. 
Rakelimalaza  is  the  name  of  the  one  supposed  to 
be  the  guardian  of  the  sovereign  and  the  kingdom. 
"Little  but  renowned"  is  the  meaning  of  the 
name.  Next  in  importance  is  the  god  of  medicine, 
Ramahavaly.  This  idol  was  brought  out  in  seasons 
of  prevailing  sickness  and  in  time  of  war.  Holy 
water  was  sprinkled  by  its  keepers  and  guardians, 
which  was  regarded  very  much  as  the  Romanists 
regard  it  among  themselves.  It  is  remarkable  that 
this  idol  is  looked  upon  as  the  patron  or  protector 
of  serpents,  just  as  Esculapius,  the  Grecian  and 
Roman  god  of  medicine,  had  a  serpent  for  his 
principal  emblem,  and  as  the  healing  power  of 
the  Egyptian  deities  seems  to  have  been  connected 
with  the  same  reptile.  We  seem  here  to  have  a 
perversion  of  the  grand  idea  of  Christianity,  the 
seed  of  the  woman  bruising  the  serpent's  head. 
The  name  of  this  Madagascar  idol  is,  however,  sug- 


256         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

gestive  of  a  great  religious  truth :  "  One  who  is 
able  to  answer."  It  helped  the  missionaries  to 
direct  the  worshipers  to  the  true  Hearer  and  An- 
swerer of  prayer. 

Another  idol  of  note  was  Ranakandriana,  sup- 
posed to  inhabit  a  cave  near  the  summit  of  a 
mountain  about  thirty  miles  north-west  of  the 
capital.  It  was  believed  that  he  could  reply  aud- 
ibly to  those  saluting  him.  The  echoes  from  the 
surrounding  rocks  may  have  given  rise  to  the  su- 
perstition. The  priests  knew  how  to  turn  this  cir- 
cumstance to  their  own  profit,  adding  certain  pri- 
vate arrangements  of  their  own  to  help  out  the 
cheat. 

King  Radama  I.  visited  the  famous  locality  and 
put  their  contrivances  to  the  test.  Entering  the 
cavern,  he  saluted  the  divinity  supposed  to  inhabit 
it.  A  low  and  solemn  voice  answered  his  greeting. 
He  then  offered  to  present  a  small  sum  of  money ; 
but  seeing  a  hand  gently  moving  forward  in  the 
gloom  to  receive  the  gift,  he  seized  it  and  ex- 
claimed :  "This  is  no  god — this  is  a  human  being!" 
He  immediately  gave  orders  to  his  followers  to 
drag  out  the  impostor.  This  was  done,  to  the 
great  satisfaction  of  the  king,  but  no  doubt  the 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  IDOLS.  257 


priests  continued  for  a  long  time  to  find  dupes 
among  the  people. 

It  is  remarkable  that  these  national  idols  had  no 
temples  and  no  regular  forms  and  seasons  for  wor-  ' 
ship.  The  towns  where  they  were  kept  were  con- 
sidered sacred ;  the  houses  in  them  were  required  to 
be  built  of  wood  instead  of  the  ordinary  clay,  and 
foreigners  were  forbidden  to  enter  them.  A  house 
in  the  centre  of  the  town  or  village  is  appropriated 
to  the  idol,  which  is  kept  in  a  box.  Instead  of  the 
people  visiting  the  idol  in  cases  where  its  aid  is 
believed  to  be  important,  it  is  carried  around  to 
the  people  by  its  keepers.  Very  rarely  sacrifices 
were  offered  to  these  idols,  but  here,  as  in  so  many 
other  heathen  systems,  the  necessity  of  blood  to 
make  atonement  for  sin  was  plainly  felt.  And  as, 
in  the  Jewish  ritual,  the  inner  fat  of  the  victim 
was  offered  with  the  blood,  blood  and  fat  used 
to  figure  in  various  ways  among  the  religious  rites 
of  Madagascar.  Everything  of  the  kind,  however, 
was  of  the  nature  of  a  freewill-offering,  mostly  in 
fulfillment  of  vows  made  on  condition  that  the  re- 
quests of  the  worshiper  should  be  granted  and 
some  fiivor  conferred  upon  him  by  the  idol. 

Connected  with  these  religious  beliefs  and  prac- 
tices is  another  deserving  of  mention,  called  fadi- 

17 


258        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


tra.  A  faditra  is  something  appointed  by  the  di- 
viners to  be  thrown  away  as  devoted  or  accursed. 
It  may  be  money,  or  ashes,  or  fruit,  or  an  animal. 
Whatever  it  may  be,  the  evils  which  are  to  be 
avoided  are  recited  over  it,  in  the  belief  that  they 
will  be  carried  away  with  the  destruction  of  the 
devoted  object.  If  ashes  are  the  faditra,  they  are 
blown  away  by  the  wind;  if  money,  it  is  thrown 
into  deep  water;  if  fruit,  it  is  dashed  to  pieces  on 
the  ground;  if  an  animal,  it  is  placed  on  the  shoul- 
ders of  a  man  and  borne  to  a  distant  place,  the 
bearer  at  the  same  time  imprecating  upon  the  vic- 
tim the  evils  which  he  wishes  to  avert.  Here  is  a 
practice  which  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the 
sending  away  of  the  scapegoat  to  the  Avilderness 
as  a  symbol  of  the  bearing  away  of  the  sins  of  the 
Jewish  people  on  the  day  of  atonement. 

In  the  form  of  words  sometimes  used  in  connec- 
tion with  this  practice  there  is  distinct  reference  to 
the  idea  of  substitution.  In  using  a  faditra  for  a 
sick  man  the  following  language  is  employed : 
"  This  is  exchanged  for  the  life  of  the  sick  man,  is 
exchanged  that  it  may  be  exchanged,  is  substituted 
that  it  may  be  substituted ;  this  is  devoted  a  hun- 
dred times,  a  thousand  times,  to  avert  all  the  evil 
from  the  sick  person. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  IDOLS.  259 


Nothing  is  easier  or  more  natural  than  to  present 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Lamb  of  God  and  the  divine  Fa- 
ditra,  taking  away  the  sins  of  the  world. 

The  original  idol  of  Madagascar,  from  which  it 
is  believed  the  whole  system  of  national  idolatry 
originated,  is  probably  the  sampy  or  household 
god.  This  being  found  in  almost  every  house,  it 
is  supposed  that  peculiar  circumstances  connected 
with  one  or  another  in  the  history  of  the  family 
to  which  it  belonged  gave  it  prominence  and  pub- 
licity, and  led  to  its  adoption  as  a  national  object 
of  worship.  The  sampy  is  often  merely  a  piece 
of  wood,  or  stone,  or  grass,  or  equally  worthless  ob- 
ject, kept  in  a  straw  basket  plaited  in  the  form  of 
a  small  bottle  and  hung  from  the  north  wall  of  the 
house,  the  bedstead  being  always  in  that  part  of 
the  dwelling.  Sometimes  the  sampy  is  a  small 
figure  of  silver  rudely  resembling  a  bullock — 
sometimes  it  is  a  single  glass  bead  or  some 
other  ornament. 

Idolatry  in  Madagascar  extended  to  the  worship 
of  ancestors.  They  believed  in  a  life  beyond  the 
grave.  They  prayed  to  the  spirits  of  the  departed, 
and  kept  their  tombs  with  great  care  and  rever- 
ence. Departed  sovereigns  were  regarded  as  demi- 
gods, and  until  *the  spread  of  Christianity  it  was 


260 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


customary  for  the  reigning  sovereign  to  address 
prayers  to  the  early  kings  on  all  important  occa- 
sions. It  was  supposed  by  the  opposers  of  Chris- 
tianity in  the  island  that  Jehovah  and  Christ 
were  names  of  early  rulers  or  illustrious  an- 
cestors of  the  Europeans,  whom  the  missionaries 
were  teaching  the  people  to  put  in  place  of  the 
ancestors  of  their  lawful  rulers.  It  is  to  this 
blind  and  ignorant  suspicion  that  much  of  the 
bitterness  of  Queen  Ranavalona  toward  the  Chris- 
tians is  to  be  traced.  She  was  jealous  of  the 
claims  of  these  foreign  worthies,  and  could  not  en- 
dure the  dishonor  she  felt  to  be  thus  cast  upon 
the  famous  line  of  potentates  to  which  she  belonged, 
and  which  had  made  the  kingdom  great  and  pow- 
erful. 

Amid  all  this  darkness  and  superstition  the 
Madagascans  never  altogether  lost  the  idea  of  one 
true  god,  whom  they  acknowledged  to  be  superior 
to  all  idols.  One  of  the  names  for  this  supreme 
being  meant  creating  prince,"  and  doubtless  the 
great  essential  truth  conveyed  by  this  title  has 
come  down  from  the  earliest  times,  one  of  those 
fragments  of  the  original  revelation  which  are 
scattered  among  the  rubbish  of  heathenism  all 
over  the  world. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  IDOLS.  261 

Not  only  separate  terras,  but  complete  sentences, 
are  found  circulating  among  the  people  of  Mada- 
gascar, in  the  form  of  proverbs,  embodying  the 
most  important  religious  and  moral  truth.  Some 
of  these  proverbs  have  been  translated.  In  refer- 
ence to  the  omniscience  of  God  they  say,  "  Do  not 
consider  the  secret  valley,  for  God  is  overhead.'' 
Again  they  say,  "  God  beholds  from  on  high  and 
sees  that  which  is  concealed."  And  again  they  say 
plainly,  *^  There  is  nothing  unknown  to  God." 
The  following  sound  like  extracts  from  the  Book 
of  Proverbs  or  Ecclesiastes  : 

The  willfulness  of  man  can  be  borne  by  the  Cre- 
ator, for  God  alone  bears  rule. 

God  hates  evil,  God  is  not  to  be  blamed,  the 
Creator  is  not  to  be  censured. 

Though  men  wait  not  for  God,  yet  will  I  wait 
for  him. 

Better  be  guilty  with  men  than  guilty  before  God. 

There  is  no  retribution  [perhaps  in  this  life  is 
meant].    Still  the  past  returns. 

These  proverbs,  with  others  of  the  sort,  are  not 
overlooked  by  the  missionaries ;  as  Paul  used  the 
saying  of  a  heathen  poet  to  give  point  to  his  ad- 
dress at  Athens,  so  do  the  English  teachers  show 
how  the  native  sayings  justify  and  illustrate  the 


262        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR, 

teachings  of  Christianity.  When  the  first  of  the 
memorial  chapels  was  dedicated,  in  1867,  the  mis- 
sionary who  preached  the  sermon  took  for  his  text 
the  words  of  Paul  at  Athens:  "Whom,  therefore, 
ye  ignorantly  worship,  him  declare  I  unto  you.'' 
He  showed  the  people  that  their  heathen  ancestors 
had  some  knowledge  of  God,  and  quoting  their 
own  proverbs,  proved  as  it  were  out  of  their  own 
mouths  that  God  was  the  Creator,  that  he  knew 
all  things,  and  that  he  was  the  Rewarder  of  botli 
good  and  evil.  The  people  listened  with  astonish- 
ment to  this  treatment  of  their  every-day  sayings, 
while  the  preacher  proceeded  to  show  how  defective 
this  knowledge  by  itself  was,  how  it  was  corrupted 
by  the  intermingling  of  foolish  and  superstitious 
notions,  and  how  the  gospel  of  Christ  alone  could 
make  them  wise  unto  salvation. 

In  fact,  while  these  sayings  referred  plainly 
enough  to  sin,  divine  anger  and  punishment,  none 
of  them  spoke  of  pardon  or  eternal  life. 

No  definite  knowledge  of  the  appearance  of  the 
great  national  idols  was  obtained  until,  in  1869, 
by  direction  of  Queen  Ranavalona  II.,  they  were 
brought  out  of  their  secret  shrines  and  publicly 
burned.  The  shrine  itself  was  nothing  but  the 
trunk  of  a  small  tree  hollowed  out  and  fitted  with 


A  Madagascar  Idol. 


Page  263. 


1 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  IDOLS, 


263 


a  cover.  Divested  of  its  wrappings,  which  were 
of  scarlet  silk  in  two  pieces,  each  a  yard  long  and 
three  inches  wide,  the  idol  was  nothing  but  a  plain 
piece  of  wood  an  inch  or  two  in  length  and  as  large 
round  as  one's  finger.  In  fact,  a  common  clothes- 
pin would  have  made  two  or  three  such  idols.  A 
small  quantity  of  sand  tied  in  cloth  was  the  ma- 
terial of  the  royal  idol.  Another  chief  idol  con- 
sisted of  three  sticks,  the  largest  six  inches  long, 
fastened  together  with  a  silver  chain. 

Mr.  Ellis  gives  a  drawing  of  a  Madagascar  idol 
which  was  probably  one  of  the  most  elaborate. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


CULMINATION  OF  THE  EVANGELISTIC  MOVEMENT. 

ITH  the  summary  overthrow  of  the  idols 
the  last  vestige  of  doubt  as  to  the  perma- 
nent policy  of  the  nation  disappeared,  and 
nothing  now  remained  to  keep  alive  the 
superstitious  fears  of  the  people.  Deities  who 
were  so  little  able  to  protect  the  objects  in 
which  the  very  essence  of  their  being  and  their 
power  was  lodged  could  no  longer  be  regarded 
with  dread  by  their  worshipers.  Christianity  did 
not  in  the  least  mean  subjection  to  a  foreign  power. 
The  government  itself  had  set  the  example,  and  it 
seemed  as  if  at  once  the  whole  population  of  the 
island  became  nominally  Christian,  and  desired  to 
become  really  such  in  heart  and  life.  From  the 
queen  to  the  lowest  slave  one  feeling  pervaded  all 
ranks  of  society. 

The  old  centres  of  instruction,  the  churches  in 
and  about  the  capital,  were  crowded  to  a  degree 

264 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  MOVEMENT.  265 


unimagined  in  more  civilized  communities.  A  church 
which  in  England  could  hold  about  eight  hundred 
people  was  many  times  crowded  with  three  thou- 
sand at  half-past  eight  in  the  morning.  In  the 
country  round,  as  yet  but  scantily  supplied  with 
teachers  or  buildings,  new  congregations  were 
constantly  springing  up  and  holding  meetings, 
although  without  any  one  to  guide  them,  and  ev^en 
without  a  single  person  among  them  able  to  read 
the  word  of  God.  Almost  every  village  and 
every  tribe  was  anxious  to  have  a  chapel  of  its 
own. 

In  many  places,  indeed,  to  the  great  regret  of 
the  missionaries,  a  strong  pressure  was  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  people  to  induce  them  to  attend  ser- 
vice. In  some  places  they  were  told  that  the  tables 
had  been  turned,  and  that  now  those  who  did  not 
become  Christians  would  lose  their  heads.  But 
this  attempt  to  frighten  them  into  religion  was 
without  authority.  The  queen  burned  only  the 
idols  which  were  national  property,  leaving  the 
people  entirely  free  to  burn  their  own  or  continue 
worshiping  them. 

The  mighty  religious  movement,  therefore,  was 
substantially  an  outbreak  of  the  free  national  life, 
led  by  the  Providence  and  Spirit  of  God,  and 


266        THE  STOBY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


in  the  very  week  of  the  image-burning  the  churches 
of  the  metropolis  took  such  steps  as  they  could  to 
meet  the  sudden  and  marvelous  demand  for  Chris- 
tian teaching. 

Money  was  raised  among  the  native  church  offi- 
cers and  evangelists  were  immediately  sent  out,  but 
tlie  work  was  of  such  proportions  as  almost  to  dis- 
may and  confound  the  churches.  The  missionaries 
wrote  home  the  most  urgent  letters  for  help,  de- 
claring that  they  were  too  much  distracted  by  the 
number  of  claims  pressing  upon  them  to  do  satis- 
factorily the  little  which  they  could  undertake. 
The  province  of  Imerina  alone,  in  which  the  idol 
villages  belonged,  contained  a  million  of  people  all 
open  to  receive  the  new  religion. 

Appeals  were  not  only  made  by  the  natives  to 
the  missionaries,  but  the  delegations  from  villages 
and  towns  pressed  their  spiritual  necessities  upon 
the  prime  minister  in  person.  What  great  cause 
for  thankfulness  that  the  sagacity  of  a  statesman 
united  itself  with  the  zeal  of  a  Christian  in  this 
high  officer  !  Instead  of  assuming  the  government 
and  direction  of  this  vast  national  movement,  and 
so  bringing  to  pass  a  crude  and  oppressive  union 
of  Church  and  State,  with  all  the  great  evils  that 
would  follow  in  its  train,  he  counseled  with  the  mis- 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  MOVEMENT.  267 


sionaries  as  to  the  best  method  for  the  churches  to 
pursue,  in  endeavoring  successfully  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  the  people  for  the  gospel. 

The  missionaries  suggested  the  formation  of  a 
Madagascar  missionary  society,  but  the  minister 
did  not  relish  the  idea.  He  thought  it  best  to  ap- 
peal to  each  church  separately  to  raise  money  and 
teachers.  The  queen,  he  said,  would  not  interfere 
in  the  choice  of  teachers  or  of  the  districts  to  which 
they  should  be  sent.  They  must  simply  have  her 
sanction,  so  as  to  be  free  from  all  claims  for  public 
service.  She  would  also  give  them  letters  to  the 
head-people  of  the  places  to  which  they  might  be 
appointed,  securing  to  them  safety  and  a  respectful 
hearing. 

In  accordance  with  the  prime  minister's  wishes, 
it  was  decided  that  each  of  the  older  churches 
should  be  urged  to  choose  as  many  men  as  it  could 
support.  Accordingly  each  drew  up  a  list  of  places 
needing  teachers  and  a  list  of  men  suitable  to  go. 
The  total  number  of  villages  thus  named  was  one 
hundred  and  fifty,  and  for  the  greater  number  of 
these  men  were  found  willing  to  go,  so  remarkable 
was  the  self-sustaining  energy  of  this  movement. 
The  lists  were  approved  by  the  prime  minister  in  a 
meeting  of  pastors  and  deacons  which  he  attended. 


268        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


Help  was  also  promised  from  the  church  in  the 
palace. 

Thus  there  could  be  no  government  interference, 
and  no  assignment  of  government  funds  for  the 
work.  The  State  would  not  be  entangled  with  the 
Church,  and  no  constraint  or  authority  would  be 
exercised,  directly  or  indirectly,  by  the  State  over 
any  man's  conscience.  Nevertheless,  the  whole 
advantage  of  such  governmental  influence  would 
be  enjoyed  in  the  simple  evangelical  channel  of 
the  Christian  sympathies  and  contributions  of  the 
royal  congregation  in  the  palace  yard. 

The  result  of  the  whole  was  that  each  church 
exerted  itself  nobly,  and  that  native  teachers  were 
sent  out  in  all  directions.  One  church  which  had 
resolved  to  send  out  four  or  five  men  speedily  sent 
out  twenty.  The  same  congregation — Ambohi- 
potsy,  in  the  memorial  chapel  on  the  site  of  the 
first  martyrdom,  at  the  south  of  the  city — raised 
five  hundred  dollars  for  carrying  on  the  work. 
The  Analakely  church,  in  the  north-west  of  the 
capital,  adopted  the  weekly  mode  of  giving,  raised 
one  hundred  dollars  in  three  months  and  supported 
eleven  evangelists.  The  church  at  Ankadibevava, 
near  the  eastern  gate,  raised  five  hundred  dollars  in 
the  year,  and  with  the  aid  of  donations  from  the 


TBE  EVANGELISTIC  MOVEMENT,  269 

palace  church  sent  out  twenty-one  evangelists  to 
fifty-three  stations. 

In  England  the  London  Missionary  Society  was 
completely  at  a  loss  how  best  to  meet  such  an  un- 
expected, such  a  blessed  expansion  of  duties  and 
opportunities.  The  history  of  the  society  had  fur- 
nished no  parallel  to  these  circumstances.  Great 
assemblies  for  prayer  and  thanksgiving  were  held 
in  London  in  January,  1870,  in  view  of  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  the  situation. 

Sixteen  missionaries  were  called  for,  at  an  an- 
nual expense  of  over  thirty  thousand  dollars,  be- 
sides about  the  same  sum  necessary  to  carry  them 
to  the  island  and  furnish  them  with  homes.  Special 
contributions  to  the  amount  of  nearly  ten  thousand 
dollars  were  reported  in  January,  and  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Bible  and  tract  societies  was  also 
sought  for  the  supply  of  a  suitable  literature. 
Four  missionaries,  with  their  wives,  were  ready 
to  sail  in  March,  and  four  others  in  iipril. 

Meanwhile,  the  missionaries  on  the  island  con- 
tinued to  report  in  the  same  strain  of  encourage- 
ment and  with  the  same  urgent  calls  for  aid.  In 
November,  1869,  Rev.  George  Cousins  wrote  of  a 
recent  visit  to  the  sacred  city  Ambohimanga.  This 
was  long  a  stronghold  of  idolatry;  it  was  the  birth- 


270 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAB. 


place  of  the  founder  of  the  reigning  family  and 
their  burial-place ;  it  also  boasted  of  the  presence 
of  one  of  the  national  idols,  and  was  thronged  with 
priests,  diviners  and  idol-keepers.  Not  only  were 
foreigners  shut  out,  but  even  natives  not  living 
there  were  obliged  to  procure  a  pass  before  en- 
tering. 

The  gospel,  however,  could  not  be  shut  out,  and 
in  1865  a  congregation  of  fifty  persons  was  gath- 
ered for  worship.  But  in  November,  1869,  Mr. 
Cousins  wrote  that  there  were  three  congregations, 
one  of  eight  hundred  persons,  one  of  nine  hundred 
or  nine  hundred  and  fifty,  and  one  of  over  one 
thousand.  Even  then,  no  foreigner  was  allowed 
to  live  in  the  city,  and  all  this  enormous  growth 
had  been  under  native  Christian  influence. 

Perhaps  the  single  statement  made  in  the  annual 

/  report  of  the  mission  for  1869,  that  the  nominal 
adherents  of  the  mission  in  that  time  had  increased 
from  thirty-seven  thousand  to  one  hundred  and 

I  fifty-three  thousand,  will  give  as  good  an  idea  of 
the  expansion  of  the  work  as  anything  that  can 
be  said.  As  for  the  numbers  ready  to  receive 
Christian  teaching,  all  the  accessible  population 
of  the  island  might  be  reckoned  under  that  head. 
Meanwhile,  it  is  proof  of  the  care  exercised  by  the 


THE  EVANGELISTIC  MOVEMENT,  271 


church-officers  in  the  matters  of  admission  to  church 
privileges  that  the  membership,  instead  of  being 
rapidly  swelled  by  multitudes  acting  under  im- 
pulse and  swept  in  without  thought,  has  grown 
from  seven  thousand  three  hundred  only  to  ten 
thousand  in  the  same  period. 

Earnest  attention  had  been  given  from  the  first 
to  the  education  of  the  natives  in  all  the  necessary 
elements  of  learning.  Normal  schools  and  con- 
gregational schools  were  in  full  operation.  The 
girls  were  taught  needlework  as  well  as  other 
branches,  and  female  teachers  were  trained  and 
set  to  work  among  their  countrywomen.  The 
printing-press  was  in  constant  use,  averaging  from 
twelve  to  sixteen  hours'  work  out  of  the  twenty- 
four.  The  natives  make  good  printers,  and 
twenty-five  native  hands  were  engaged  in  print- 
ing and  binding  last  year  at  the  mission  house, 
which  is  fireproof.  The  monthly  magazine  "  Good 
TFb?*cfe"  circulates  upward  of  two  thousand  paid 
copies  a  month.  Of  fifteen  thousand  lesson-books 
printed  early  in  1870,  ten  thousand  were  sold  in  a 
fortnight.  An  edition  of  ten  thousand  of  the  Gos- 
pel of  Mark  was  expected  to  be  sold  in  a  month.  / 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


ROMAN  CATHOLIC  AND  OTHER  MISSIONS. 

HE  missionary  zeal  of  the  papal  Church  has 
carried  its  agents  to  almost  every  corner  of 
the  globe.  Long  before  any  Protestant  na- 
tion was  known  to  the  people  of  Madagas- 
car— in  fact,  before  the  Protestant  Reformation — the 
Portuguese  and  French  had  made  settlements  on 
the  island,  and  had  introduced  Romish  priests 
among  the  people  of  the  frontier. 

Their  earliest  enterprises  soon  came  to  naught, 
but  about  1650  the  French  again  attempted  to 
settle  on  the  island  and  to  plant  their  religion 
among  the  natives.  A  bishop,  with  several  priests 
and  assistants,  labored  for  a  number  of  years  on 
the  east  coast.  Impatient  at  the  slow  progress  of 
the  work,  Father  Stephen  attempted  to  apply  the 
truly  popish  plan  of  converting  heretics  by  force. 
He  commanded  one  of  the  most  intelligent  and 

272 


BOMISH  AND  OTHER  MISSIONS.  273 


friendly  of  the  chiefs  to  put  away  his  wives,  and 
threatened  him  with  the  vengeance  of  the  French 
if  he  refused.  The  chief  asked  a  few  days'  de- 
lay, and  used  the  time  in  retreating  with  his  fol- 
lowers to  a  safe  place  in  the  interior. 

Father  Stephen  followed  him  up  wit  A  the  ob- 
stinacy of  a  fanatic,  repeated  his  commands,  and 
snatching  the  household  gods  of  the  chief,  he  con- 
temptuously dashed  them  to  the  ground.  The 
monk  lost  his  life  for  his  senseless  zeal.  The 
French  revenged  his  death  by  a  devastating  war 
upon  the  province,  in  which  neither  age  nor  sex 
was  spared.  The  most  active  leader  of  these  aveng- 
ing forces  was  also  a  monk.  It  was  not  strange, 
indeed,  that  a  Church  which  was  persecuting  and 
dragooning  the  Waldenses  and  Huguenots  at  that 
very  hour  in  Europe  should  sanction,  by  the  pres- 
ence of  one  of  her  ministers,  the  wholesale  slaugh- 
ter of  these  remote  islanders.  But  the  result  was 
that  the  mission  was  broken  up  and  the  natives  were 
embittered  ag-ainst  the  name  of  France  and  ao^inst 
Roman  Catholicism,  perhaps  for  ever. 

Over  a  century  and  a  half  of  unbroken  dark- 
ness succeeded  these  ill-managed  attempts  to  in- 
troduce Christianity,  and  in  October,  18'20,  the 
first  of  the  long  and  wonderfully  successful  line 

18 


274         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

of  English  missionaries  set  foot  in  the  capital  of 
Madagascar. 

Meanwhile,  Romish  priests  were  forbidden  to 
settle  in  the  capital.  Two  Jesuits,  however,  man- 
aged to  enter  it  in  disguise,  and  joined  in  the  plot, 
already  described,  to  dethrone  Ranavalona  I.  They 
were  banished  from  the  country,  barely  escaping 
with  their  lives.  It  was  only  after  the  great 
and  fearful  contest  with  heathenism  had  been  won, 
and  the  martyrdoms  had  ceased,  and  Christianity 
of  a  pure  scriptural  type  had  been  thoroughly 
planted  in  the  country,  that  the  Romanists  re- 
turned and  other  societies  pressed  in  to  reap  the 
abundant  harvest. 

When  Radama  II.  succeeded  to  the  throne  of 
the  persecuting  queen,  all  prohibitions  against  for- 
eigners were  removed,  and  so  prompt  were  Ro- 
manists to  take  advantage  of  this  grant  that  they 
were  in  the  capital  some  time  before  Mr.  Ellis 
could  reach  it;  and  in  1862,  before  the  intended 
reinforcements  of  Protestant  mi.^sionaries  could 
reach  their  destination,  a  numerous  body  of  J3suit 
fathers,  lay  brothers  and  sisters  of  mercy  were 
established  at  the  capital.  They  even  circulated 
the  report  that  the  king  had  been  converted  to 
their   faith,   and  that  the   whole   body  of  the 


BOMISH  AND  OTHER  MISSIONS.  275 


native  Christians  had  put  themselves  under  the 
guidance  of  the  priests.  They  have  since  built 
two  churches  there;  they  also  established  smaller 
stations  in  some  of  the  villages,  and  worked  a  sort 
of  farm  on  the  estate  of  the  French  consul,  M. 
Laborde. 

Their  labors  have  been  zealous  and  energetic. 
The  sisters  of  mercy  have  attended  in  their  excel- 
lent capacity  as  nurses  even  upon  sick  members  of 
the  Protestant  missions.  All  that  Romanism  could 
do  in  the  way  of  outward  attractions  has  been  tried 
upon  the  untutored  natives.  But  the  results  have 
been  meagre  and  disappointing.  Neither  the  peo- 
ple generally  nor  persons  of  high  standing  have 
in  any  considerable  numbers  been  brought  under 
their  teaching.  IMany  of  the  daughters  of  govern- 
ment officers  have  attended  the  sisters'  school  to 
learn  embroidery,  but  when  that  is  done  they 
leave  it. 

The  truth  is,  jealousy  of  French  influence,  sus- 
picion of  French  political  intrigue,  and  remin- 
iscences of  French  methods  of  conversion  with 
fire  and  sword,  are  an  insurmountable  barrier  in 
their  way.  Even  if  the  impression  left  by  the  vio- 
lent proceedings  of  two  centuries  ago  had  been  for- 
gotten, the  connection  of  the  two  Jesuits  with  the 


276        THE  STORY  OF  3fADAGASCAR. 


attempted  revolution  of  1857  would  be  sufficient 
arouse  anew  the  fears  and  hostility  of  the  natives. 

French  policy  has  been  a  standing  menace  to  the 
independence  of  the  island  from  the  date  of  those 
violent  proceedings  in  the  seventeenth  century  al- 
ready described.  It  aimed  not  only  at  colonizing, 
but  at  annexing,  the  island.  The  attempts  at  sub- 
duing the  people  by  force  of  arms  having  failed, 
intrigue  was  tried.  The  plot  of  1857  to  dethrone 
Queen  Ranavalona  was  partially  a  French  move- 
ment. As  late  as  in  1866  there  w^as  an  alarm  in 
regard  to  the  designs  of  the  French,  and  militarj' 
preparations  were  hurriedly  made.  All  these 
things  would  necessarily  put  French  teachers  at  a 
serious  disadvantage  in  any  attempts  at  converting 
the  natives. 

But  without  doubt  the  grand  defence  of  the 
natives  against  the  influence  of  Romanism,  with 
its  semi-pagan  show^s  and  with  its  ready  accom- 
modation to  human  wTakness,  was  their  thorough 
grounding  in  evangelical  truth  and  their  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Bible.  The  head  of  the  mis- 
sion. Father  Jouen,  in  a  letter  to  the  pope,  ex- 
plained the  situation  with  very  trifling  overstate- 
ment w^hen  he  said,  ^'  The  whole  Christianity  of 
the  people  consists  in  reading  the  Bible.''  The 


ROMISH  AND  OTHER  MISSIONS.  277 


religion  which  he  taught  treats  the  Bible  as  a 
sealed  book  and  forbids  it  to  the  common  people. 
How  can  that  be  Christianity  to  the  Madagascans, 
whose  faith  clings  to  the  written  word,  whose  eager- 
ness for  the  Scripture  has  been  most  extraordinary, 
and  whose  martyr  experiences  have  been  linked  to 
that  word  by  the  most  precious  and  imperishable 
ties?  So  long  as  a  tattered  vestige  remains  of  the 
old  Bibles  that  were  borne  away  in  hurried 
flights,  or  hidden  in  the  folds  of  the  dress,  or  bur- 
ied in  holes  and  out-of-the-way  places  to  escape 
the  spies  of  the  persecuting  queen,  so  long  will 
popery  have  an  insurmountable  obstacle  to  success 
among  the  people  of  Madagascar. 

The  religion  which  is  learned  from  the  Xew  Tes- 
tament is  simple  and  averse  to  those  shows  and 
ceremonies  which  form  the  staple  of  Romanism. 
The  Madagascar  Christians,  accustomed  to  a  scrip- 
tural worship,  find  it  difficult  to  regard  the  Rom- 
ish ritual  as  in  any  way  a  religious  service  at  all. 
Now  and  then  one  will  pause  to  look  in  when  pass- 
ing at  the  door  of  the  Roman  Catholic  chapel ;  and 
seeing  the  bowings  and  ceremonies  at  the  altar,  with 
a  puzzled  expression  he  says,  "What  fools  these 
Frenchmen  are!  We  never  saw  Englishmen  at 
such  stupid  work  as  this."    And  many  natives 


278 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


have  learned  to  use  the  words  and  arguments  of 
the  Bible  with  skill  in  reply  to  the  arguments  of 
the  priests. 

There  is  a  vein  of  common  sense  in  the  native 
character  which  comes  to  their  aid  against  cere- 
monies and  rites  which  would  be  attractive  to  j^eo- 
ple  of  a  different  organization.  Even  the  unfortu- 
nate king  Radaraa  II.,  disposed  as  he  was  to 
encourage  French  speculators  and  colonists,  was 
quite  unmanageable  in  the  hands  of  the  priests. 
In  response  to  urgent  invitations  he  and  his  wife 
attended  service  in  their  chapel  on  Christmas  day, 
1862,  but  that  was  as  far  as  the  priests  ever  got 
him,  instead  of  converting  him,  as  they  pretended 
they  had  done. 

The  present  queen  was  also  urged  by  the  priests 
to  attend  service  at  a  new  church  they  had  just 
finished.  They  even  claimed  that  under  treaty 
with  France  she  was  bound  to  show  them  as  much 
favor  as  she  showed  the  English.  After  many 
excuses  the  court  concluded  to  attend  on  Thursday, 
March  25,  1869.  But  though  a  throne  had  been 
arranged  for  the  sovereign,  and  everything  in  the 
way  of  decorations  and  music  that  could  charm 
the  senses  had  been  prepared,  the  visit  was  brief 
and  formal  in  the  extreme.    Advancing  halfway 


ROMISH  AND  OTHER  MISSIONS.  279 


up  the  aisle,  the  queen  received  the  usual  homage 
and  turned  to  leave.  The  disappointed  officials 
seized  her  hand  and  besought  her  to  stay.  The 
prime  minister  replied  that  she  had  simply  come  to 
have  her  authority  recognized.  "  I  see/'  said  the 
French  commissioner,  that  there  is  no  love,  only 
hatred,  to  France/'  The  minister  rejoined  that  the 
queen's  religious  preferences  were  not  regulated  by 
treaties  with  foreign  countries,  and  the  court  left 
after  a  stay  of  not  over  two  minutes. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Ellis'  arrival  in  1862,  when  the 
French  priests  and  nuns  who  had  preceded  him 
were  writing  home  flattering  reports  of  their  suc- 
cess, a  number  of  nobles  put  their  sons  under  his 
instruction.  Radama's  queen  soon  after  imitated 
their  example  and  gave  into  Mr.  Ellis'  charge  an 
adopted  son.  The  disappointed  Romanists  made 
such  an  ado  that  the  matter  was  taken  up  by  the 
diplomatists,  both  French  and  English.  The 
result  was  that  the  young  prince  was  suddenly 
removed  from  Mr.  Ellis'  care  and  sent  to  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  school. 

"When,  three  years  after,  the  queen  Rasoherina 
was  compelled  to  pay  the  French  mdemnity,  she 
was  so  incensed,  in  common  with  her  entire  people, 
at  the  injustice  of  the  whole  proceeding,  that  she 


280 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


removed  her  child  from  the  French  school  and 
placed  him  under  the  care  of  a  native  Christian 
instructor.  The  native  preacher  Ratsilaingia,  a 
veteran  Christian  who  had  suffered  the  loss  of 
almost  all  things  for  his  reb'gion,  was  put  at  the 
head  of  the  school  for  children  of  the  royal  family 
and  members  of  the  government.  The  queen  fur- 
nished the  school  with  New  Testaments,  hymn- 
books  and  school-books.  Reading  the  Scriptures 
and  regular  worship  formed  part  of  the  regular 
instruction. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  Jesuit  Father  Jouen 
wrote  to  the  Romish  official  publication  "  Annals 
of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,"  those  glowing 
reports  which  excited  hope  of  the  speedy  conver- 
sion of  Madagascar  to  Romanism.  He  said  that 
the  king  Radama  not  only  permitted,  but,  so  far  as 
in  him  lay,  commanded^  them  to  go,  preach  and 
instruct  wherever  it  might  seem  to  them  good. 
Happily,  he  wrote,  "  the  Christians  formed  by  the 
Methodist  missionaries  (so  much  he  knows  of  them !), 
and  whose  whole  Christianity  consists  in  reading 
the  Bible,  do  not  appear,  at  least  up  to  this  time, 
to  have  prejudices  against  Catholicity,  and  we  have 
good  grounds  to  hope  they  will  soon  see  the  enor- 
mous diflference  which  exists  between  the  cold  and 


ROMISH  AND  OTHER  MISSIONS. 


281 


erroneous  teachings  of  Protestantism  and  the  im- 
mense resources  which  the  holy  Roman  Catholic 
and  Apostolic  Church  offers  to  them."  Ten  years 
have  since  passed  away,  and  the  reader  knows  in 
what  sense  the  natives  do  know  the  difference. 

He  also  gives  what  purports  to  be  a  letter  of 
King  Radama  himself,  but  not  only  is  its  style 
utterly  unlike  that  of  the  king,  but  it  is  wanting 
in  such  an  important  and  simple  thing  as  a  sig- 
nature. 

We  have  already  related  the  absurd  and  impu- 
dent trick  which  the  priests  played  upon  the  un- 
suspecting king  on  the  evening  before  his  corona- 
tion, and  which  gave  rise  to  the  story  that  he  had 
been  crowned  at  that  time  by  the  emissaries  of  the 
pope.  A  somewhat  similar  performance  of  these 
persevering  tricksters  upon  his  royal  successor  is 
narrated  in  the  official  "  Annals." 

Queen  Rasoherina  is  believed  to  have  died,  as 
she  lived,  a  heathen.  As  her  end  drew  near,  the 
French  consul,  M.  Laborde,  paid  her  a  visit.  She 
seemed  to  be  in  her  last  extremity,  but  accord- 
ing to  the  French  story,  had  recovered  to  full  con- 
sciousness. "  M.  Laborde  suggested  to  her  some 
pious  considerations  suitable  to  the  great  act  which 
was  about  to  be  accomplished.    She  answered  by 


282 


TRE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


raising  her  eyes  and  her  arms  to  heaven.  And 
then,  as  if  he  were  about  to  magnetize  her,  he  called 
for  a  vessel  of  water,  dipped  his  hands  into  it  and 
washed  Rasoherina's  forehead,  while  pronouncing 
the  sacramental  words.  None  of  those  present," 
continued  the  Annals,  ^^had  the  least  suspicion 
that  this  pious  stratagem  was  made  use  of  to  re- 
generate [!]  a  soul.  Thus  was  baptized  the  sove- 
reign of  Madagascar,  on  Friday  the  twenty-ninth 
of  March,  1868,  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  by 
virtue  of  the  precious  blood  the  feast  of  which  is 
celebrated  on  that  day.  Three  days  later,  on  Mon- 
day, she  went  to  heaven,  as  we  confidently  trust,  to 
exchange  her  title  as  queen  for  that  of  patroness  of 
the  great  African  island.'' 

Further  extracts  from  these  Annals  reveal  to  us 
the  spirit  which  these  Romish  emissaries  cherished 
toward  Mr.  Ellis.  They  say  that,  "  fanatical  and 
envious  preacher  that  he  is,  he  preferred  plunging 
Madagascar  into  barbarism  to  sharing  with  Catho- 
lics the  honor  of  civilizing  it."  He  is  further 
caricatured  as  "  the  man  with  the  long  nose."  He 
is  called  "  the  designing  plotter,"  "  wretched  fa- 
natic," "  the  author  of  the  disgraceful  revolution," 
"  the  evil  genius  which  directs  all  the  disorder," 
"  the  individual  whose  atrocious  conduct  I  cannot 


MOMISH  AND  OTHER  MISSIONS.  283 

put  upon  paper,"  "  who  exercises  a  sort  of  magnet- 
ism over  the  king/'  and  "  is  at  this  moment  rais- 
ing the  slaves  and  urging  them  to  assassinate  the 
French."  He  seems  even  to  be  alluded  to  in  the 
following  bitter  style :  "  We  have  had  a  hand-to- 
hand  fight  with  the  devil,  who  would  fain  have  us 
flee  before  his  face." 

Much  of  this  mendacious  and  evil-tempered 
writing  is  doubtless  to  be  traced  to  the  chagrin 
felt  at  the  distribution  of  the  Scriptures  among  the 
natives,  arming  them  against  the  wiles  and  unfit- 
ting them  utterly  for  the  methods  of  the  Catholic 
priests. 

It  is  well  indeed  that  Protestantism  has  taken 
such  a  deep  hold  upon  the  people  of  this  populous 
country,  and  that  English  jealousy  of  French 
political  aggrandizement,  poor  as  the  motives  of 
statesmen  often  are,  has  held  that  nation  in  check, 
or  we  might  have  witnessed  a  repetition  of  the 
cruel  and  oppressive  and  high-handed  proceedings 
which  have  disgraced  the  name  of  France  and  of 
popery  together  in  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

Judgment  from  Heaven  has  fallen  upon  that 
most  ambitious  and  powerful  of  Catholic  king- 
doms. In  carrying  out  her  last  unrighteous 
schemes  of  aggression  she  has  met  the  most  over- 


284         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

whelming  defeat  recorded  in  the  pages  of  history. 
We  can  scarcely  doubt  for  a  moment  that  we  see 
in  her  fearful  experiences  of  evil  and  of  foreign 
war,  the  disclosure  of  the  divine  anger  against 
just  such  acts  of  intrigue,  oppression  and  violence 
as  she  had  been  so  often  guilty  of  before,  and  as 
she  was  ready  to  visit  upon  Madagascar  whenever 
an  opportunity  might  occur. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  too  speedily  inferred, 
from  the  decline  of  French  influence,  that  the 
Madagascar  Christians  are  free  from  all  the  perils 
of  a  Romanizing  system.  Sensible  natives  may 
yet  have  occasion  to  wonder  at  the  follies  of  some 
English  worshipers  no  less  than  the  French,  and 
Anglicanism,  or  High  Church  ritualism,  not  being 
burdened  by  national  prejudices,  may  yet  make 
progress  among  the  natives,  and  prove  a  halfway 
house  to  the  now  scorned  Romanism  of  the  French 
priests  and  sisters. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


ENGLISH  EPISCOPALIANS  IN  MADA  GASCAE. 

HE  more  evangelical  part  of  the  Church  of 
England  regard  with  sincere  joy  and  Chris- 
tian sympathy  the  successes  of  other  de- 
nominations upon  the  field  of  foreign  mis- 
sions. Their  organization,  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  never  allows  its  own  operations  to  interfere 
with  those  of  other  societies.  It  is  from  the  High- 
Church  wing  that  such  interferences  come,  and  gen- 
erally through  their  organ,  the  "S.  P.  G./'  or 
"  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel."  The 
former  society,  the  organ  of  the  Low  Churchmen, 
planted  a  mission  in  the  north-east  of  the  island  in 
1864,  which  after  eighteen  months  of  arduous  but 
unsuccessful  labor  was  transferred  to  a  more  south- 
erly point  on  the  eastern  coast  of  the  island. 

This  was  done  in  November,  1866,  since  which 
time  the  mission  has  been  conducted  by  Messrs. 
Campbell  and  Maundrell,  in  an  entirely  heathen 

285 


286        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


country,  with  an  encouraging  measure  of  success. 
In  their  journeys  to  the  interior  they  have  found 
the  field  open  on  every  hand,  and  especially  pre- 
pared in  places  which  the  influences  of  the  earlier 
missions  of  the  Congregationalists  had  reached.  In 
one  such  place,  Fianarantsoa,  they  were  enthu- 
siastically welcomed.  During  the  week  of  Mr. 
CainpbelPs  stay  he  was  incessantly  engaged  in 
conversing  with  the  people  from  morning  to  even- 
ing. Before  he  was  dressed  in  the  morning  they 
were  waiting  at  the  gate  for  admission;  in  the  after- 
noon he  held  alternately  a  Bible  class  and  a  sing- 
ing class,  after  which  he  was  followed  by  crowds 
to  the  market-place,  where  he  preached  the  gospel. 

Sometimes  the  natives  ran  in  terror  from  the 
first  foreigner  they  had  ever  seen.  In  one  case 
the  entire  population  of  a  village  fled  away  at  his 
approach,  but  the  sound  of  their  own  familiar 
tongue  quieted  their  fears  and  opened  the  way  to 
their  confidence.  The  whole  territory  was  open, 
and  offered  a  rich  reward  to  faithful  missionary 
labor. 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  a 
venerable  institution  chartered  in  1701,  and  now 
the  foreign  missionary  organ  of  the  High-Church 
party  in  ^he  Church  of  England,  established  a  mis- 


EPISCOPALIANS  IN  MABAQASCAR.  287 


sion  at  the  port  of  Tamatave  in  1864.  In  three 
years^  time  they  had  succeeded  in  building  a 
church  in  this  town,  and  another  at  Foule  Point, 
forty  miles  farther  north.  Besides  congregations 
in  these  two  places,  they  had  three  others  at  as 
many  villages. 

This  mission  has  had  to  contend  with  the  deadly 
coast-fever,  one  missionary  being  obliged  to  leave 
his  work  for  many  months  from  this  cause,  and 
finally  to  desist  altogether  and  return  home.  An- 
other, Mr.  Hey,  died  at  sea  while  on  his  way  from 
Mauritius,  whither  he  had  gone  to  procure  medical 
aid  for  his  sick  wife. 

While  these  missionaries  doubtless  take  pains  to 
acquaint  their  hearers  with  Bible  truth,  they  lay 
great  stress  upon  forms  and  ceremonies;  and  while 
the  friends  and  supporters  of  other  great  missionary 
societies  measure  their  success  by  the  converting 
and  sanctifying  effects  of  the  gospel  upon  the  na- 
tives, the  friends  of  this  High-Church  society  are 
"  cheered  when  they  receive  news  of  the  success- 
ful performance  of  showy  services  in  the  native 
churches.  The  following  account  of  the  celebra- 
tion of  Christmas  eve,  1868,  in  the  church  at 
Tamatave,  is  given  in  the  report  of  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  for  1869. 


288        THE  STORY  OF  3fADAGASCAR. 


"  How  cheering/^  says  the  report,  "  is  such  a  de- 
scription as  the  following,  given  by  Mr.  Holding, 
of  services  at  Tamatave  on  Christmas  eve  and 
Christmas  day  !    He  writes : 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  happy  yet  solemn  ser- 
vice we  had  here  on  Christmas  eve.  The  church 
was  beautifully  decorated  with  palm-branches  and 
various  tropical  flowers,  such  as  many  a  connoisseur 
in  England  would  have  given  much  for,  and  such 
as  many  a  loving  heart  in  England  would  have 
welcomed  most  heartily  to  have  had  to  decorate 
the  majestic  stone  churches  at  home.  Every  color, 
in  its  gorgeous  splendor,  was  there,  making  a  very 
paradise  of  God's  own  dwelling-place — making  the 
sanctuary  of  God  the  beauty  of  holiness. 

*^The  scroll  ^  Kraisty  teraka  anio'  (Christ  was 
born  to-day),  presented  by  Miss  Eokeby,  looked 
fine  indeed.  The  altar-screen  was  of  light  blue, 
studded  with  fleur-de-lis  ;  a  corona  was  suspended 
over  the  choir,  and  lights  were  dispersed  amid  the 
green  leaves  round  the  church  walls.  All  these 
last  were  the  gift  of  one  of  our  native  Christians 
who  is  a  tinker.  They  were  painted  nicely  and 
looked  well. 

"  At  10.30  P.M.  the  bell  rang  for  prayers,  and 
soon  the  church  was  filled.    The  surpliced  choir 


EPISCOPALIANS  IN  MADAGASCAR.  289 


left  the  mission  schoolhouse,  singing  as  a  proces- 
sional *  Avia  ry  mpeno '  (Oh  come,  all  ye  faithful), 
to  the  same  good  old  English  tune.  As  soon  as 
we  entered  the  porch  the  entire  body  of  the  con- 
gregation rose  up  and  joined  the  strain,  and  sung 
heartily  as  the  choristers  and  priest  marched  up 
the  aisle.  Just  before  the  sermon  the  choir  sung 
^Olena  hiaudry  ondry'  (While  shepherds  watched). 
Then  a  sermon — a  most  eloquent  sermon — was 
preached  by  Mr.  Andrianado,  on  the  subject  of 
the  shepherds  watching  by  night.  Another  hymn 
was  sung — Keble's  evening  hymn,  'Inpamonjy 
masoaudronay'  (Sun  of  my  soul).  Then  I  ad- 
dressed the  congregation,  after  the  bell  had  sounded 
midnight  past  and  our  vigil  over,  on  the  birth  of 
our  blessed  Redeemer. 

"  After  the  blessing  the  congregation  rose,  and  the 
choir  left  the  church  singing  the  Nunc  Dimittis.  It 
was  a  lovely  moonlight  night,  and  the  poor  people 
felt  the  full  influence  of  all  accessories,  and  went 
home  comforted,  realizing  something  more  of  the 
first  advent  of  the  Saviour  than  they  had  ever 
done  before. 

"On  Christmas  day,  had  the  church  been  twice 
the  size,  it  would  have  been  filled.  Many  of  our 
people  who  had  come  from  the  country  to  attend 

19 


290       THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


the  services  on  that  day  could  not  get  in.  It  was 
painful  to  see  them  standing  at  every  window  and 
door,  joining  in  the  service,  kneeling  on  the  grass, 
and  sitting  round  the  church  under  the  broiling 
sun  for  two  hours  and  a  half.  We  had  a  larger 
number  of  communicants  than  ever  we  had  before, 
and  the  offertory  was  nearly  treble  the  usual  weekly 
sum.    You  see  we  have  the  weekly  offertory." 

Not  only  is  pre-eminence  given  to  the  trifling 
and  unessential  parts  of  public  worship ;  all  the 
orders  of  the  clergy  are  regarded  as  necessary  to 
the  very  humblest  beginnings  of  church  work. 
The  natives  of  Madagascar  cannot  be  converted 
after  the  High-Church  fashion  at  all  without  a 
bishop.  Madagascar — the  whole  island — must  be 
made  a  diocese,  and  the  excellent  Christian  work- 
men who,  thirty  years  before,  had  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  one  of  the  most  wonderful  gospel  enter- 
prises that  the  world  had  ever  seen,  and  the  multi- 
tude of  natives  who  had  won  the  crowns  and  palms 
of  martyrdom,  were  to  be  included  in  this  diocese 
along  with  the  unconverted  heathen,  and  treated  as 
if  they  were  all  alike  destitute  of  true  religion. 

It  was  not  only  for  the  more  rapid  conversion 
of  the  natives  or  the  better  ordering  of  their  two 
churches  and  handful  of  converts.    A  bishop  of 


EPISCOPALIANS  IN  MADAGASCAIL  291 


Madagascar  would  be  nothing  less  than  a  claim  to 
spiritual  authority  and  precedence  over  the  entire 
island.  It  would  be  an  assumption  that  no  proper 
missionary  work  had  yet  been  done  there. 

Something  of  the  same  sort  was  attempted  in  the 
Sandwich  Islands  in  the  year  1862,  when  the  High 
Church  or  "Anglo-Catholic"  zealots  in  England 
sent  out  a  bishop  and  staff  of  assistants  to  recon- 
vert the  Christian  population  from  their  sound 
evangelical  faith  to  Ritualism  and  semi-popery. 

These  men  undertook  the  superhuman  task  of 
proving  that  the  past  labors  and  successes  of  the 
American  missionaries  were  a  failure,  and  even 
that  the  people  were  worse  off  through  the  influ- 
ence of  the  mission.  They  wrote  defamatory  ar- 
ticles for  the  newspapers  of  England  and  America, 
they  addressed  public  meetings  in  the  same  con- 
temptuous and  arrogant  strain,  they  raised  money 
for  carrying  on  their  mission  on  the  plea  that  the 
islanders  were  too  wretchedly  poor  to  build  their 
own  churches  at  a  time  when  single  churches  of 
natives  were  contributing  over  a  thousand  dollars 
a  year  to  the  work  of  the  American  Board,  and 
when  in  a  single  month  one  of  the  churches  raised 
one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  thirty  dollars 
toward  building  a  new  edifice. 


292         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAE. 

They  failed  utterly,  however,  and  Bishop  Sta- 
ley  and  his  staff  had  to  return  home.  Yet  the  en- 
terprise of  the  Madagascar  bishopric  was  under- 
taken in  the  face  of  these  facts.  And  not  only  was 
it  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  and  protests  of  the 
London  Missionary  Society,  but  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society,  the  organ  of  the  moderate  Epis- 
copalians of  England,  took  a  firm  stand  against 
the  project.  In  the  most  brotherly  and  Christian 
spirit  they  recognized  the  rights  of  the  Congrega- 
tionalists'  society,  and  of  the  converts  gathered  in 
by  them.  They  recounted  the  marvelous  success 
of  the  London  society.  They  plead  for  the  observ- 
ance of  that  wise  rule  observed  by  almost  all  the 
societies  which  forbids  trespassing  on  each  other's 
jBelds,  and  they  declined  to  countenance  or  engage 
in  a  scheme  which  would  introduce  among  the 
young  converts  of  Madagascar  the  baneful  con- 
troversies which  had  rent  the  Church  at  home. 
All  the  evangelical  missionary  societies  of  Eng- 
land took  similar  ground. 

But  in  vain.  The  original  movers  of  the  scheme 
pressed  it  without  hesitation  upon  the  authorities. 
A  clergyman,  Kev.  Robert  H.  Baynes,  was  nomi- 
nated for  the  bishopric,  and  recommended  by  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  a  letter  of  the  eighth 


EPISCOPALIANS  IN  MADAGASCAB.  293 


of  November,  1870,  to  Earl  Granville,  who  held 
the  appointing  power  under  the  queen.  Here,  how- 
ever, they  met  with  a  check.  For  nearly  three 
weeks  no  reply  was  received  from  the  foreign  sec- 
retary, and  when  it  came  it  was  nothing  more 
than  a  chilling  request  for  information  which  he 
regarded  as  necessary  to  aid  him  in  coming  to  a 
decision.  The  questions  which  he  asked  were — (1.) 
How  many  British  clergymen  are  there  now  in 
Madagascar?  (2.)  How  many  lay  members  of  the 
Church  of  England  ?  (3.)  Could  not  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  bishop  of  Mauritius  be  as  well  ex- 
tended over  the  island  of  Madagascar? 

To  these  brief  inquiries  the  archbishop  replied 
at  length.  At  the  date  of  his  reply,  as  he  was 
constrained  to  admit,  there  was  not  a  single  mis- 
sionary of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel  on  the  island,  and  the  three  agents  of 
the  Church  Missionary  Society  (Low  Church)  now 
there  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  proposed 
bishop.  Hence  his  constituency  would  have  to  be 
sent  out  with  him.  The  number  of  lay  members 
in  the  diocese  would  be  perhaps  four  hundred, 
but,  again,  it  was  rather  the  uncertain  number  of 
heathen  to  be  converted  in  the  future  for  whom 
this  chief  shepherd  was  to  be  appointed.     As  to 


294         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


the  sufficiency  of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  bishop 
of  Mauritius,  no  very  decided  opinion  was  given, 
the  archbishop  preferring  rather  to  quote  the  opin- 
ions of  that  bishop  as  lately  communicated  by 
himself. 

While  Earl  Granville  was  considering  with  his 
accustomed  deliberateness  the  archbishop's  reply, 
and  while  a  lively  discussion  was  going  on  in  the 
various  English  journals  upon  the  proposed  inroad 
of  bigoted  High  Churchisni  upon  the  evangelical 
fold,  Mr.  Baynes,  the  nominee  for  the  position, 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  archbishop  withdrawing  his 
name.  The  letter  was  forwarded  to  Earl  Granville, 
whereupon  the  earl  wrote  to  the  archbishop  that 
under  the  circumstances  it  would  be  "  neither  de- 
sirable nor  expedient  to  proceed  to  the  creation  of 
the  proposed  bishopric,  or  to  move  her  Majesty  to 
grant  a  license  for  the  consecration  of  a  bishop 
whose  advent  in  the  island  would  be  calculated  to 
produce  schism  in  the  Anglican  community,  and, 
therefore,  have  an  injurious  effect  on  the  conversion 
of  the  heathen  inhabitants  to  Christianity." 

The  reply,  dated  January  eleventh,  put  an  end  to 
the  movement  for  the  time  being,  at  least,  and  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gosp^el  has  been 
obliged  to  content  itself  with  Christmas  celebra- 


EPISCOPALIANS  IN  MADAGASCAR,  295 

tions  in  the  broiling  sun  of  midsummer  in  the 
southern  hemisphere,  and  with  similar  ritualistic 
machinery  in  the  hands  of  ordinary  clergymen  for 
accomplishing  its  work. 

The  abandonment  of  the  ungenerous  undertak- 
ing has  called  attention  to  the  general  subject  of 
the  boundaries  of  mission  fields,  and  the  public 
has  been  reminded  of  the  fact  that  several  years 
ago  the  London  Missionary  Society,  the  same  which 
evangelized  Madagascar,  gave  up  a  considerable 
strip  of  missionary  ground  in  Western  India,  along 
with  a  number  of  churches  in  the  Tinnevelly  dis- 
trict, because  it  had  been  agreed  that  the  Church 
of  England  should  hold  the  field  where  their 
efforts  had  been  crowned  with  such  marvelous 
success. 

The  bishop  of  Calcutta,  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant of  the  English  prelates  in  the  colonial 
part  of  the  empire,  took  the  opportunity  in  a 
recent  official  address  to  announce  his  approval 
of  the  course  matters  had  taken,  and  he  held  up 
the  failure  of  Bishop  Staley  on  the  Sandwich  Isl- 
ands as  a  warning  against  the  appointment  of 
such  officials  in  advance  of  the  actual  demands 
of  the  country. 

In    his  whole  letter,  professedly  designed  to 


296        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

furnish  the  government  with  information  upon  the 
religious  condition  of  the  island,  the  archbishop 
avoided  all  mention  of  the  London  Missionary- 
Society  and  all  reference  to  its  wonderful  work. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


QUAKER  MISSIONARIES.— REAL  HELPERS. 

UITE  opposite  to  all  this  offensive  parade  of 
arrogance,  exclusivism  and  formality  has  been 
/  ^  the  attitude  of  the  Friends  (or  Quakers)  of 
e)  England  and  America,  toward  the  original 
mission.  At  first  they  sent  contributions  in  aid  of 
the  educational  work  among  the  natives.  A  school 
was  erected  and  supplied  with  fittings  through 
their  generous  aid,  all  of  w4iich  was  rendered 
through  the  London  society.  In  1867  the  so- 
ciety of  Friends  in  England  sent  one  of  their 
most  esteemed  ministers,  Mr.  Sewell.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Street,  of  the  same  body  of  Christians  in 
America,  having  come  to  England  in  the  hope 
of  finding  some  way  to  Madagascar,  joined  Mr. 
Sewell,  and  reached  Madagascar  in  June.  They 
cam^,  not  to  organize  a  new  mission,  but  to  co-ope- 
rate with  the  laborers  on  the  ground,  and  especially 
to  help  on  the  cause  of  education.    They  came  well 

297 


298         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


supplied  with  books,  maps,  etc.,  and  were  welcomed 
with  pleasure  by  the  missionaries.  A  recent  death 
in  the  educational  staff  of  the  mission  made  their 
appearance  all  the  more  timely. 

Their  excellent  spirit  may  be  seen  in  the  follow- 
ing extract  given  by  Mr.  Ellis  from  one  of  Mr. 
SewelFs  letters  to  his  friends  at  home.  He  says, 
"  I  was  particularly  interested  when  one  of  my 
young  missionary  friends  read  from  the  Bible  the 
ten  commandments.  Some  of  the  congregation 
were  so  intent  that  they  stood  with  their  mouths 
and  eyes  wide  open.  My  heart  quite  ached  in  its 
longings  to  sound  the  glad  tidings  on  the  heathen 
ear."  Not  long  after  their  arrival  they  sent  full 
accounts  of  the  religious  aspect  of  the  country 
to  their  friends  in  England,  fully  confirming  all 
that  had  been  previously  reported  as  to  the  gen- 
uine and  thorough  character  of  the  Christian  work 
done  and  the  movement  then  going  on.  They 
declared  "  that  the  native  services  were  so  simple 
and  scriptural  in  character  that  no  good  Friend 
need  scruple  to  take  part  in  them."  In  fact,  it  may 
be  regarded  as  one  of  the  many  overwhelming 
proofs  of  the  depth  and  genuineness  of  the  work 
of  grace  in  Madagascar  that  it  brought  these 
brethren  of  such  widely  different  views  into  the 


QUAKER  MISSIONARIES.  299 

most  cordial  and  active  sympathy  with  the  mis- 
sionaries. Net  only  did  Mr.  Sewell  do  excellent 
service  in  preparing  school-books  and  promoting 
the  educational  interests  of  the  people,  but  he  was 
influenced  by  the  urgent  needs  of  the  rapidly 
multiplying  congregations  to  become  the  virtual 
pastor  of  two  of  the  native  churches. 

In  1869  another  lady  was  added  to  their  num- 
ber who  designed  especially  to  take  part  in  the 
work  of  education. 

The  Friends  of  England  and  America  have 
done  themselves  great  honor  by  this  work  of  min- 
gled generosity  and  charity.  It  forms  a  happy 
contrast  with  the  trivial  formalities  and  the  un- 
pardonable arrogance  of  the  English  High  Church- 
men. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

LATEST  PHASES  OF  THE  MOVEMENT. 

S  we  bring  our  narrative  to  a  close  we  have 
no  adverse  news  to  report,  and  not  a  single 
serious  shadow  to  put  upon  the  picture. 
The  revolution  moves  grandly  forward, 
and  a  Christian,  intelligent  and  prosperous  people, 
destined  to  play  a  great  and  we  trust  beneficent 
part  in  all  that  quarter  of  the  globe,  is  rising  upon 
the  ruins  of  the  ancient  heathenism,  ignorance  and 
isolation. 

In  remote  sections  of  the  country,  it  is  true, 
and  among  the  subjugated  tribes,  threats  are  fre- 
quently made  by  inferior  officials  of  violence  on 
the  part  of  the  government  to  compel  a  universal  ac- 
ceptance of  Christianity.  When  on  a  toui  through 
the  Betsileo  country,  Mr.  Jukes  was  requested  by 
the  chief  man  of  a  village  to  preach  to  the  people 
and  tell  them  that  if  they  did  not  pray  they  should 
be  put  in  chains. 

300 


LATEST  PHASES. 


301 


Fear  and  a  desire  to  follow  the  new  custom  of 
the  queen  seemed  to  have  been  the  ruling  motive 
which,  especially  in  remote  villages,  led  many  "  to 
pray/'  The  chief  person  of  each  village  was  called 
pastor,  no  matter  how  profound  his  ignorance  or 
how  unsuitable  his  private  life.  In  several  in- 
stances Mr.  Jukes  found  individuals  unbaptized, 
without  any  knowledge  of  the  gospel,  and  many 
of  them  living  in  sin,  who  had  formed  themselves 
into  churches  and  regularly  partook  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  in  imitation  of  what  they  had  seen  the 
Christians  do  at  Fiauarantsoa,  without  the  slight- 
est notion  of  the  meaning  of  the  ordinance. 

The  missionaries  are  using  every  means  in  their 
power  to  disseminate  right  views,  and  to  convince 
the  people  that  they  are  perfectly  free  in  the  matter 
of  religion;  and  in  this  they  are  seconded  by  the 
government.  In  December,  1870,  the  prime  minis- 
ter publicly  referred  to  the  rumor  that  he  and  the 
queen  wished  to  govern  and  command  the  churches, 
and  emphatically  disclaimed  any  such  intention.  No 
one,  he  said,  should  be  allowed  on  account  of  his 
rank  or  position  to  rule  the  church.  "  If  any  one 
presumes  upon  his  position  or  power,"  said  bfe,  "  if 
he  be  my  own  son,  turn  him  out." 

These  words  were  uttered  at  a  meeting  of  a 


302 


THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


newly-formed  congregational  union,  held  Decem- 
ber 14th,  which  the  prime  minister  attended, 
not,  as  he  said,  in  any  official  capacity,  but  as  a 
deputation  from  the  church  in  the  palace  to  con- 
sult with  them  on  the  best  means  of  educating  and 
evangelizing  the  people.  No  less  than  two  thou- 
sand representatives  of  town  and  country  churches 
composed  this  vast  council. 

The  building  in  which  they  met  was  a  new  one 
of  brick  which  had  only  been  two  months  dedi- 
cated. It  is  a  large  and  substantial  church,  with 
galleries  measuring  ninety-three  by  forty-five  feet 
on  the  inside.  Its  acoustic  properties  are  excellent ; 
the  vestry  and  class-rooms  can  be  connected  with 
the  main  room  by  wide  folding-doors ;  a  harmonium 
leads  the  singing.  The  queen  was  present  and 
took  part  in  the  services  of  dedication,  thanking 
the  missionaries  for  coming  to  teach  her  people. 
The  first  discourse  to  the  throng  of  two  thousand 
natives  was  preached  by  a  native,  the  senior 
student  in  the  theological  seminary,  and  he  ac- 
quitted himself  well. 

After  a  sermon  by  one  of  the  missionaries  the 
.  congregation  was  dismissed,  but  only  to  be  re- 
placed almost  immediately  by  an  eager  crowd 
who  wished  to  be  present  at  the  evening  service, 


LATEST  PHASES. 


303 


although  more  than  three  hours  had  yet  to  inter- 
vene. The  sermon  on  that  occasion  was  preached 
by  Ravoninahitriniarivo,  nephew  of  the  prime 
minister.  His  text  was :  "  If  our  gospel  be  hid, 
it  is  hid  to  them  that  are  lost." 

Among  the  events  of  the  year  (1870)  the  com- 
pletion and  dedication  of  the  children's  memorial 
church  should  be  mentioned.  For  this  object  nearly 
fifteen  thousand  dollars  were  raised  by  the  children 
of  England.  As  already  mentioned,  the  site  chosen 
was  Faravohitra,  the  scene  of  the  burning  of  five 
native  Christians  during  the  reign  of  the  cruel 
E;anavalona  I. 

The  church  was  three  years  in  building,  but  at 
last,  on  the  fifteenth  of  September,  it  was  formally 
opened  for  divine  service.  The  queen  and  court 
were  in  attendance,  and  a  very  cordial  message  from 
her  Majesty  was  read  by  one  of  her  attendants. 
Sermons  and  addresses  were  delivered  by  both  na- 
tive and  foreign  preachers,  the  whole  day  being  spent 
in  these  services.  Although  the  exercises  did  not 
commence  till  nine  o'clock,  the  people  began  to  as- 
semble as  early  as  four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

The  demand  for  a  religious  literature  and  for 
educational  apparatus  has  amounted  to  overwhelm- 
ing importunity.    As  early  as  August,  1869,  a 


304        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

missionary  wrote :  "  We  have  just  received  the 
edition  of  twenty  thousand  hymn-books  printed  for 
us  by  the  Religious  Tract  Society,  and  part  of  the 
edition  of  twenty  thousand  Testaments,  also  a  por- 
tion of  two  hundred  thousand  volumes  of  various 
parts  of  the  Bible  which  the  magnificent  liberal- 
ity of  the  Bible  Society  has  secured  for  us.  Not- 
withstanding this  large  number,  in  anticipation  of 
our  further  wants  we  have,  as  you  know,  recently 
written  again  to  that  society,  urging  them  to  send 
us  another  edition  of  fifty  thousand  Testaments  as 
early  as  possible  next  year." 

In  the  fall  of  1870  the  arrival  of  another  por- 
tion of  the  edition  of  the  New  Testament  in 
Madagascan  created  great  excitement.  A  mis- 
sionary writes : 

"The  people  came  not  only  from  the  capital 
and  surrounding  places,  but  from  distant  parts 
of  the  country,  bringing  their  money  with  them, 
and  begging  most  earnestly  to  be  allowed  to 
buy  a  Testament,  but  were  obliged  to  go  with- 
out. It  has  been  both  pleasant  and  painful  to 
us  who  have  been  eyewitnesses  of  the  excitement — 
pleasant  to  see  such  a  thirst  among  the  people  for 
the  word  of  life,  but  most  painful  to  have  to 
send,  and  in  some  cases  even  to  drive,  them  away 


LATEST  PHASES.  305 


without  it,  so  unwilling  were  they  to  go  without 
obtaining  the  treasure  they  were  seeking." 

The  educational  movement  of  the  year  1870 
exceeded  that  of  all  preceding  years  in  interest 
and  importance.  The  people  generally  had  never 
before  been  so  anxious  to  receive  instruction.  But 
the  rulers,  in  particular,  had  begun  to  feel  the 
necessity  of  their  own  enlightenment  if  they  would 
worthily  and  successfully  administer  the  affairs  of 
the  nation  and  maintain  their  places  at  the  head 
of  a  rapidly-advancing  people.  Accordingly,  a 
school  of  twenty-six  scholars,  mostly  adults,  was 
established  in  the  palace,  where  one  of  the  mis- 
sionaries taught  the  elementary  branches.  Scrip- 
ture history  and  the  English  language.  All  the 
scholai-s  were  regular,  attentive  and  well  behaved.' 
A  class  of  seventeen  was  also  taught  at  the  house 
of  one  of  the  principal  officers,  in  which  the  queen 
took  the  deepest  interest. 

During  the  year  1870  the  schools  increased  in 
number  from  one  hundred  and  forty  to  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-nine,  and  the  number  of  scholars 
from  five  thousand  two  hundred  and  seventy  to 
fifteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-seven, 
just  threefold. 

In  the  same  period  the  number  of  native  preach- 

20 


806        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

ers  had  more  than  doubled,  rising  from  nine  hun- 
dred and  thirty-five  in  1869  to  nineteen  hundred 
and  eighty-six  in  1870.-  Of  course  there  must  be 
a  vast  variety  of  material  in  an  army  of  workers 
gathered  at  such  short  notice  out  of  the  bosom  of 
an  ignorant  and  lately  heathen  community.  But 
the  demands  of  the  work  were  too  pressing,  and 
the  best  that  could  be  had  was  put  to  use,  with 
abundant  cause  of  thankfulness  that  so  large  a 
proportion  of  truly  valuable  and  effective  material 
could  be  found.  Some  of  them  are  very  intelli- 
gent and  even  well-educated  men,  having  extensive 
theological  works  in  English  in  their  libraries  and 
using  them  regularly  in  their  preparation.  Others, 
with  a  scanty  amount  of  intellectual  training,  know 
their  Bibles  well.  Still  others,  doubtless,  in  so 
large  a  company,  are  quite  destitute  of  needful 
preparation,  and  perhaps  influenced  by  questionable 
motives  in  seeking  a  position  so  popular  and  re- 
spected among  their  countrymen.  But,  says  one 
of  the  missionaries  writing  on  this  subject,  there 
are  scores — nay,  hundreds — of  these  preachers  who 
on  Sabbath-day  and  week-day  will  toil  three,  five, 
ten  or  twenty  miles,  and  even  more  than  that,  over 
weary  roads,  under  this  fierce  blazing  sun,  to  preach 
Christ's  gospel  in  the  villages.    Oh  but,  perhaps 


LATEST  PHASES, 


307 


they  are  paid  for  it?  Yes,  some  of  them  are.  If 
a  man  has  far  to  go,  and  is  known  to  be  very  poor, 
he  will  probably  get  twopence  for  his  time  and 
mental  labor  in  composing  his  sermon,  and  for  the 
time  and  physical  labor  which  he  must  expend  to 
deliver  it, 

"  When  I  remember  that  thesfe  are  no  incidents, 
but  the  continuous,  unwearying,  self-denying  la- 
bors of  the  preachers,  I  think  that  these  should 
outweigh  in  the  scale  of  moral  significance  all 
our  gratuitous  assumptions  as  to  their  motives, 
all  the  evils  that  we  may  discover  or  fe,ucy  in  the 
character  of  individuals." 

A  theological  seminary  has  for  some  years  been 
in  full  operation,  with  two  instructors  and  two  or 
more  classes.  Great  care  is  exercised  in  admitting 
or  retaining  students.  The  course  of  training  is 
exact  and  thorough,  embracing  grammar,  sacred 
history,  exegesis,  theology  and  preaching.  The 
session  of  1869-70  was  opened  by  the  request  of 
the  queen  at  the  palace.  The  queen  was  present, 
and  the  prime  minister,  occupying  the  chair,  deliv- 
ered a  stirring  address  to  the  students  and  officers 
of  the  church.  The  queen  herself  added  a  few 
words,  thanking  the  missionaries  for  the  good  they 
were  doing  to  her  people,  and  urging  the  young 


308 


THE  STOBT  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


men  to  make  the  most  of  the  great  advantages 
they  were  receiving. 

The  Medical  Missionary  Society  of  Edinburgh 
has  also  established  a  dispensary  and  a  hospital  in 
the  capital,  in  connection  with  which  a  class  of 
native  students  in  medicine  receives  regular  in- 
struction. A  complete  apparatus  for  instruc- 
tion in  anatomy  and  surgery  has  been  given  by 
friends  in  Scotland,  and  the  missionary  physician, 
who  wisely  combines  religious  instruction  with 
medical  aid  and  advice,  is  engaged  in  translating 
valuable  medical  works  into  the  native  tongue. 

The  annual  report  of  the  mission,  received  by 
the  London  Missionary  Society,  June,  1871,  showed 
a  total  of  13  stations  and  621  out-stations,  with 
25  native  pastors  against  20  in  1869;  1986  native 
preachers  against  935  the  previous  year;  20,951 
church-members  against  10,546;  231,759  in  the 
congregations  against  153,007;  359  schools  against 
142,  and  15,837  scholars  against  5270;  and  £3611 
against  .£1950  voluntary  contributions  in  1869. 

But  it  is  impossible  for  figures  to  convey  to  us 
the  greatness,  the  rapidity,  the  beneficent  effects 
of  the  work  of  grace  which  has  been  going  for- 
ward in  Madagascar.  Perhaps  it  will  put  the 
matter  in  its  true  light  to  say  that  if  Christianity 


LATEST  PHASES, 


309 


had  advanced  in  other  parts  of  the  world  at  the 
same  surprising  rate,  four  or  five  years  would  have 
sufficed  to  convert  the  whole  human  family  to  the 
same  evangelical  religion  which  has  been  so  hap- 
pily established  in  Madagascar. 

The  general  benefits  conferred  upon  the  island 
in  manners,  customs,  laws,  morals  and  public 
policy  are  well  described  by  Rev.  E,.  Toy,  one  of 
the  missionaries ; 

"  Wherever  Christianity  has  taken  deep  root  in 
the  heart  of  a  nation  it  has  always  been  followed 
by  an  advance  in  the  material,  social  and  political 
state  of  the  people,  proving  itself  the  true  pre- 
cursor of  civilization.  Madagascar  forms  no  ex- 
ception to  this  rule.  For  ages  before  the  intro- 
duction of  Christianity  the  people  seem  to  have 
deteriorated  rather  than  otherwise.  And  after  the 
gospel  had  been  preached  among  them,  so  long  as 
idolatry  was  recognized  as  the  religion  of  the  gov- 
ernment, the  real  progress  made  by  the  nation  was 
slow.  The  government  was  most  despotic  in  its 
character,  regarding  the  people  as  so  many  goods 
and  chattels  made  for  the  sole  disposal  of  the  sov- 
ereign. Polygamy  was  universally  practiced,  and 
the  morals  o  '  the  people  were  of  the  worst  de- 
scription. 


310        THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 


"  The  buildings,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  were 
of  a  very  poor  character,  and  none  either  of  brick 
or  stone  were  allowed  within  the  city.  They  were 
built  mostly  in  the  same  style,  with  the  fronts  al- 
ways facing  the  west.  A  few  houses  were  covered 
with  shingle,  but  the  large  majority  were  thatched 
with  bulrushes.  All  the  rooms,  if  possessing  more 
than  one,  were  on  the  ground-floor,  the  up-stair  loft 
being  used  either  as  lumber-room  or  place  for  cook- 
ing, or  both.  They  were  not  unfrequently  huddled 
together  in  groups,  without  any  semblance  of  or- 
der, and  sometimes  with  barely  passing  room  be- 
tween. The  natural  consequence  was  that  fires 
were  of  common  occurrence,  and  occasionally  they 
extended  over  large  areas,  destroying  everything  in 
their  way.  Yet  no  sooner  were  the  ashes  and 
charred  remains  removed  than  new  ones  of  the 
*  same  material,  and  crowded  together  in  the  same 
way,  were  erected  in  their  places,  to  meet  with  a 
similar  fate  at  no  very  distant  period. 

"Now,  however,  that  Christianity  has  got  hold 
of  the  people  and  the  government,  all  this  is  quite 
altered.  It  is  required  by  the  government  that  all 
new  buildings  erected  be  covered  with  tiles  or  shin- 
gles, and  all  who  choose  may  put  up  houses  of 
ei/:her  brick  or  clay  or  stone,  the  queen,  prime 


LATEST  PHASES. 


311 


minister  and  other  officers  setting  the  people  the 
example.  The  royal  chapel,  as  already  mentioned, 
is  built  of  stone  and  roofed  with  slate.  The  great 
palace  built  by  the  persecuting  queen  is  in  process 
of  reconstruction.  The  large  and  lofty  wooden 
posts  which  supported  its  triple  balcony  are  now 
being  replaced,  under  the  superintendence  and  ac- 
cording to  the  plans  of  Mr.  Cameron,  by  massive 
stone  columns  in  three  orders,  with  a  large  square 
tower  at  each  corner. 

"  The  prime  minister  is  contemplating  building  a 
fine  brick  house,  and  a  beautiful  stone  wall  has  al- 
ready been  carried  round  his  premises.  New  brick 
houses  of  considerable  architectural  pretensions 
are  springing  up  in  all  directions,  designed  some- 
what after  the  style  of  the  best  of  the  mission 
houses,  but  varied  according  to  native  taste,  while 
gateways  of  dressed  stone  are  replacing  in  different 
parts  of  the  town  the  old-fashioned  and  often 
rickety  wooden  ones  which  previously  existed.  A 
desire  for  really  good  houses  is  becoming  general, 
and  in  a  very  few  years'  time  the  Antananarivo  of 
1862  will  be  scarcely  recognizable. 

"A  great  change  also  is  taking  place  in  the  ideas 
of  the  people  in  reference  to  the  faiiompoana,  or 
service  rendered  to  the  State,  which  among  the 


312         THE  STORY  OF  MADAGASCAR. 

Malagasy  answers  instead  of  taxes.  The  system 
of  paying  for  services  rendered  is  being  recognized. 
Food  is  given  by  the  queen  regularly  to  the  build- 
ers of  the  royal  chapel ;  the  new  regiment  of  sol- 
diers called  ^Maranitra'  receive  rice  and  clothing, 
while  some  of  the  officers  have  expressed  their 
determination  to  pay  for  the  erection  of  their  new 
houses.  A  system  of  enforced  service  which  has 
been  in  existence  for  ages  cannot  be  suddenly 
changed  for  one  of  taxation  entirely  new  to  the 
country,  but  there  are  very  many  signs  which 
prove  that  its  days  are  numbered. 

"  New  laws  have  been  promulgated,  and  these  are 
a  great  improvement  upon  those  which  previously 
existed,  while,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of 
Madagascar,  they  have  been  printed  and  distrib- 
uted throughout  the  country.  The  prime  minister 
is  studying  English  history  and  English  laws,  in 
order  that  he  may  be  better  able  to  bring  the  peo- 
ple under  a  good  government  and  advance  the 
nation  in  civilization. 

"  The  people  themselves  are  becoming  more  cleanly 
in  their  habits  and  more  decent  in  their  clothing. 
Children  of  the  higher  ranks  no  longer  are  kept 
stark  naked,  as  was  the  case  a  few  years  ago.  Po- 
lygamy is  rapidly  decreasing,  and  a  faithful  wife  is 


LATEST  PHASES. 


313 


no  longer  compelled  to  pass  the  whole  of  her  future 
life  hopelessly  bound  to  a  polygamic  and  profligate 
husband.  Intoxicating  drinks  are  forbidden  by 
law  throughout  Imerina,  and  their  sale  on  the 
coast  is  as  far  as  possible  discouraged.  Though 
obliged  by  treaty  with  England  to  allow  of  their 
importation  into  the  country,  by  the  traders  paying 
in  kind  ten  per  cent,  customs'  dues,  the  officers  in 
charge  are  commanded  to  empty  into  the  sea  the 
rum  thus  falling  to  the  queen.  Sunday,  as  a 
day  of  rest,  is  observed  throughout  the  kingdom ; 
no  markets  can  be  held,  and  no  foreign  vessels  take 
in  their  cargoes  on  that  day.  Antananarivo,  on 
Sundays,  presents  an  aspect  of  calm  and  quietness, 
such  as  perhaps  cannot  be  met  with  in  any  other 
capital  of  equal  size  in  the  world.  Thus  religion 
and  civilization  are  going  hand  in  hand,  and  a 
moral  revolution  is  being  quietly  yet  rapidly  car- 
ried on  which  is  bidding  fair  to  raise  the  Malagasy 
into  a  most  respectable  position  among  the  enlight- 
ened nations  of  the  earth." 


THE  END. 


N 


DATE  DUE 


Demco  Inc.  38-293 


